Much Needed Healing
by omizumaru
Summary: Sesshomaru is alive and well in modern day Tokyo, although he finds himself unhappy with his current situation. Kagome is also in Tokyo, though she is leading a life much less stable than the taiyoukai's. When the past and present collide, what path will.
1. A Tired Taiyoukai

The bar sounded it's call, and the taiyoukai followed. It had been an incredibly stressful day, and although Sesshomaru was never really one to fall to the lure of liquor, a stiff drink containing some well aged whisky seemed more than in order.

He strolled down the crowded Tokyo streets, awash in mortals and neon lights, and reflected on just how far he had come. It was now the year 2007, and he was no longer the Lord of the West. He was however, considered by many to be the Lord of the Communication Industry. His corporation had offices from Japan to Silicon Valley and was responsible for the majority of the innovations in the field.

Gazing out among the crowd, he hardly noticed the amount of people staring at him. After so many years living among the ningen, he had become accustomed to their reactions to his person. At over six feet tall, he towered above the majority of the population. Add to that the fact that he had snow white locks and an obviously icy demeanor to match, and strange looks abounded. He was beautiful in a cold and dangerous way. Although it seemed over-used to him, the old adage was in his case quite true: women wanted him and men wanted to be him. He typically indulged neither of the sexes, preferring to remain aloof and independent.

He found them tiresome, these mortals. He had learned how to pass as one, adapted and acclimated to the changing world, and ever the warrior, had forced himself a place in it. He had become rich and successful, he wanted for nothing, and yet, he was bored. Perhaps not quite bored, but some other emotion that had no real name. For a moment, he paused in his steps to reflect on the time before; the time he had enjoyed the most in his exceptionally long life.

The feudal era. Now, that had been a wonderful time. Battles that raged, not in the boardroom, but in the clean, fresh open air. Battles where death was the price paid for failure, rather than simply being terminated from your employment. It was a time of magic and spirituality, of respect and fear. It was HIS time.

He gave his head a shake and released an audible snort. What was the point in dwelling on such things? Time had moved on, as had he, and it would continue to do so. To simply reminisce was to invite time to pass you by and forget about you. He had and would be many things, but forgotten was certainly not among them. His visage was burned into the memories of those who dares to challenge him in business. He had a reputation for being ruthless in the boardroom. The people who merely passed him on the street would recall his face for a long time afterward. For those few who shared his time in more intimate places and situations, he was truly unforgettable. Indeed, this Sesshomaru Taisho would never fall prey to a lapse in memory.

He had been walking for almost an hour, stalking silently among the ningen when he finally came upon a place to suit his needs. It was dark and classless, a place where he would run no risk of bumping into anyone who knew him. The name of the establishment mattered not to him, only the service it could provide. Adjusting his course, he slipped up to the entrance and through the door.

Flighty vixen that she was, time stilled when he entered and heads turned to view the new arrival. He had known that this reaction was inevitable; this type of place was surely frequented only by it's regulars. He, in his exquisitely cut Armani suit, with his delicate features and towering height, was most definitely not the normal type of patron. But as he sauntered up to the bar and placed his order while simultaneously pulling out an American Express Black card, the regulars went back to their previous activities. Another saying that he had found true, "money talks."

Three Crown and Cokes into the evening, two things happened. The first was that he began to think it a mistake to have brought that damned ookami Kouga into his business fold. The stress of the day had begun to eat away at him, and if that wolf had only been as capable as he should have been, much of it could have been avoided. The second thing to happen was his modification of his order. The drinks became double shots, chilled, hold the Coke.

By the seventh drink, he was starting to feel a little bit foggy, and had forgotten all about his resolution to discontinue dwelling on the past. As the regulars around him shot pool, watched the televisions, or just stared into their beers, he lost himself to the memories.

It felt as though it were yesterday, and at the same time, very long ago. He recalled times of fighting with demons, Naraku, and Inuyasha. Ahh.. Inuyasha, the ever insolent half-breed. Smiling a little at the memory of his brother, he thought of the time when he had faced him in battle at their father's grave. THAT was what fighting was supposed to be. There was an unbelievable prize for the winner, the Tetsussaiga, and blood shed for the loser. It had been the first time that the hanyou had beaten him. He, Sesshomaru, the great taiyoukai, had actually lost a limb in that skirmish. Granted, it had long ago grown back, but it could not be denied that he had suffered his first real loss on that day.

But it had not been only Inuyasha. No, that girl that the hanyou had traveled with for so many years had been there as well, and had it not been for her, his brother would never have been able to use the fang, let alone release it from the stone that it had been embedded into. That girl; the miko. Now there was a creature that he had not thought about in centuries. She had been intriguing, always at Inuyasha's side, fighting just as valiantly as any male, human or demon. Until the day she had vanished that is. Sesshomaru took a minute to try and bring forth her name, but it was a lost cause. Although he had many times caught himself watching her for many different reasons, he could not recall her name. It was a shame really, that one such as she had been forgotten. That miko had been something special, no doubt about it.

He gave a sigh as he drained the last of drink number 12 and notified the bartender that it was past time for lucky thirteen. He heard the door to the bar open, and paid it no heed. He cared not for any mortal coming to this place. But his head tipped when he heard one of the males at the pool table greet the new arrival.

"Hey there Kagome! Back again?"

Kagome. Why did that sound so familiar? Of course, there was that children's song, something about a Kagome and a bird in a cage, and although he was tempted to let it go at that, something continued to tug at the back of his brain.

"Don't be a smart-ass Mike, you know I'm here every night."

That voice. It was different, but familiar. Sesshomaru tried desperately to wipe away the whisky induced mental fog. He wanted to turn his head and see from who that voice came from, yet at the same time, his instincts screamed at him not to, that he would be much better off never knowing. He ignored them, and craned his neck to see long black hair and a well curved backside. She turned slightly and moved over to the bar, taking a seat a few places down from him. It was dark and smoky in the bar, and he could not make her out clearly.

And then, as she bent forward to grab the drink that the bartender had placed in front of her without her ever having asked for it, he caught the first fleeting whiff of her scent. Spicy and sweet, it was distinct and he knew that he had smelled it before. Only as he surreptitiously inclined his head towards her and inhaled strongly did he catch the undercurrent of energy that was laced throughout her scent. Like lightening it was pure and strong and unexpected. His eyes widened and his breath caught.

How long had it been since he had actually scented a woman with miko powers? 200 years at least. And the last time he had encountered one who positively radiated energy? Never. Not since his brother's wench. Not since... Looking up, amber eyes met blue and he whispered out a name her never thought he knew.

"Kagome?"


	2. A Miko Lost

Kagome awoke with a groan and cracked open one eye to peer at the digital clock on her bed side table. The read out told her the current time was 4:47, and she was hardly shocked at the late hour. She had gone out drinking, again, last night.

Her nights were all the same anymore, running into one another like a river flowing downhill, and that was just fine with her. She woke up every afternoon, sometimes with a man in her bed, but more often than not, alone. She would have a shower, wander to the kitchen for a bite of something to eat and a bit of the hair of the dog, and then get dressed and wander back to the bar. Once there, she would drink away her sorrows, pick up some guy who probably wouldn't stay the whole night, and then pass out.

Kagome was a full fledged alcoholic and she knew it. But she didn't give a damn. She knew that her former friends considered her a tragedy, her life a waste, but she didn't give a damn about them or their opinions either. All she cared about was the deep gash in her heart that had refused to heal, even after four years. Whoever had said that love was eternal was right. They probably meant it in some kind of romantic way, but that's not the way things had worked out for her. For Kagome, her love was eternal, and the object of her devotion dead. All she wanted was to forget about the boy with the puppy ears, but no matter how much she drank, no matter how many one night stands she had, memories of Inuyasha would never leave her, and her heart would never heal.

With a sigh, she rolled out of bed and began her afternoon ritual.

After a quick shower, Kagome walked to the kitchen and grabbed a slice of slightly stale bread. Shoving the bread into the toaster, she moved to the freezer and pulled out a bottle of vodka. Turning as she uncapped the bottle, she noticed the rapidly flashing light on her answering machine. She moseyed over to it and pressed the play button.

"Kagome? It's your mother. Listen honey, we're all getting really worried about you. None of us have seen you in months, and the last bill I got from your credit card company had some really big bar bills on it. Sweetie, we really need to talk to you. I know that things have been difficult for you since..."

Kagome pressed the delete button before her mother's recorded voice could specify when things went wrong. She lifted the bottle to her lips and gave a deep pull. Setting it down on the counter, she unceremoniously wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand before retrieving her toast from the toaster. She wasn't stupid, she knew when her life had gone bust, but there was no help for it now. She nibbled at the dry toast, and despite her best efforts, her mind slipped back in time to the day that she had lost everything.

She had almost died when the group had faced Naraku, and after they had retreated, and she had tended to everyone's wounds, Inuyasha had asked her to come into the forest to talk. She had, of course, gone without a second thought. She had not been particularly surprised when he had brought her to the part of his woods that contained the goshinboku and the well, as it was the place they had first met, and the one spot he felt the safest and most comfortable in.

She had however, been shocked when he had, without a word, pulled her tightly to him and kissed her passionately. It was everything that she had ever dreamed of, and as his strong arms wrapped around her small frame, she gave herself over completely to him. She never felt a thing as he removed the jewel shards from her neck. Later, she had been furious with herself for not understanding what it was he was doing, especially since he had done almost the same thing to her once before. But the fact remained that she noticed nothing.

When he had broken the kiss and pulled away from her, he had looked so very sad. She remembered clearly the way his ears had drooped and his eyes had grown moist. Pulling her tightly to him again, he had told her, "I can't do this to you anymore Kagome. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you. If you were killed, I would die from the loss, the loneliness, and the shame. Kagome... I love you."

She had snuggled closer to his chest and oblivious of the true meaning behind those words, had only told him that she loved him too, had loved him for as long as she could remember.

He had buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent one last time before stepping away from her. "Then you understand why I'm doing this. I'm sorry Kagome, but if it all works out, if I live, I WILL come and find you." And with that, he had shoved her into the well.

When she had landed back on her side, she had tried for days to get back despite the loss of the jewel shard. Only when she had jumped into the well with such force that she fell down and shattered the delicate bones in her wrist when she hit bottom, did her mother and grandfather seal off the well with nailed down two by fours.

It wasn't long after she got out of the hospital that she had graduated from school. She was amazed that she had still managed to graduate at the top of her class, despite all of her absences, but she had. She had never had time to fill out college applications though, and she still, four years later had yet to do so. She now doubted that she ever would.

Her mother had remarried. A nice man, who had more than enough money to spare, and they had rented her this apartment. They had hoped that with time she would overcome her sadness, but the years ticked by, and she was still out of school, out of work, and drinking more than any sane human would. Apparently, the free ride was about to run out, or at least that's how Kagome interpreted the message on the answering machine. She'd have to face her mother soon, at least call her, but deep inside, she was ashamed. She didn't want anyone she knew to see her like this, and yet she could not bring herself to stop drinking. The pain inside of her was too great.

He had not come to find her. It had been four years, and there had been no word from him. She had yet to run into any demon that she knew. Once, she had sensed the presence of a demon close by, but the street had been so crowded that it had left the area before she could get a lock on who it was. To Kagome, this all meant two things.

Naraku had been defeated; after all, the world was still here, despite the low count of demons. It also meant that she could not deny the one thing that truly broke her heart.

Inuyasha was dead.


	3. A Miko Found

She had left her apartment after she had finished the bottle that she had kept there, and headed directly for the bar. Already feeling the buzz, she walked through the door and was greeted by one of the guys who spent almost as much time there as she did.

"Hey there Kagome! Back again?"

He was teasing, but she wasn't in the mood for it. Everyone knew about her love affair with the bottle, and she really didn't need to hear any shit about it.

"Don't be a smart-ass Mike, you know I'm here every night." she shot back at the man. Barely sparing him a glance, she went up to the bar and took a seat on her stool. Maybe it was time to start thinking about finding another place to drink. Guys like Mike were starting to give her a hard time, despite the fact that she had taken most of them home with her on at least one occasion. Not to mention the fact that she had her own seat.

But then the bartender had sent her a vodka and soda without her even having to ask, and she knew that she would keep coming here for at least a little while longer. If nothing else, they had good service, and the employees didn't bother you with too many questions or give you any crap about cut-offs. Kagome hated having someone tell her she'd had enough. She knew what they didn't; there wasn't enough liquor in the world to ever satisfy her need. She stared into her glass before downing the entire thing in one swallow. Looking up, she saw that the bartender was already pushing another glass in her direction. Good service indeed.

How could it be? How could that same woman be here, 500 years after the time he had known her? And why had she not noticed his presence? Of course, the bar was dark and smoky, and he was a small distance way from her position at the bar, but the miko that he had once known would have sensed the aura of a powerful youkai from miles away. Yet here she was, paying him no attention, when they were separated by a distance of mere feet. It was ridiculous.

Obviously, it was past the time for him to retire from drinking. It was more than apparent that he had somehow surpassed his limit. It seemed unusual since as a youkai he normally had quite a high tolerance for mind altering substances and he was nowhere near the amount typically required to cause hallucinations of this sort.

There was no way that this woman was Inuyasha's wench.

Yet instead of standing up and leaving the bar like his mind was telling him to do, he remained seated, watching her down drink after drink with a practiced ease. After six drinks in thirty minutes he realized that she wasn't here for a good time. This woman was combatively drinking. There was a battle being waged here, but he could not understand it.

What Sesshomaru did understand however, was that this woman was well versed in the art of intoxication. Perhaps she was, like so many before her, a constant drunk. If that was indeed the case, then it could be surmised that she was already far gone from sobriety when she first entered this place, and that could be why she had not noticed him.

"Why don't you have a steady man yet hun?" The bartender asked the woman as he poured her another glass, this one straight and on the rocks. "A pretty thing like you doesn't need to be picking up losers in a place like this on a nightly basis. You should find yourself someone special."

He heard the soft sigh before she answered. "I had a guy once. It didn't work out." That was all the information she offered.

"He left you then?"

"No. He made me leave. He was rude, uncouth and obstinate. But he saved my life and I love him." Sesshomaru watched her from the corner of his eyes as she waved a hand at the barkeep. "Anyway, it was a long time ago."

Once again, she stopped speaking. She raised the glass to her lips and downed the drink in one swallow. The woman set the glass on the bar and the man wandered away to get her a refill. "Couldn't have been that long ago; you're still young." He told her from over his shoulder.

Sesshomaru watched the woman stare blankly at the man and lower her eyes. It was then that his sensitive ears caught what the bartender did not. "Yeah, 500 years isn't so long." she whispered vengefully under her breath.

For the second time that night, his breath caught. This was her. Somehow, this human woman had survived over the centuries. She was older, but only by a few years. Where the ningen that had traveled with the hanyou was an adolescent, this was most definitely a woman. She had soft curves that had not been so pronounced when last he had laid eyes on her and her hair was longer. But what made her so unfamiliar were not the physical signs of age, but rather something in her eyes. Where the bright spark of life had once shone with a blinding brilliance, her blue eyes were now cold. Still and deep as the ocean, there seemed to be no joy in them any longer.

Sesshomaru understood. She was broken. Her spirit had left her and now she was only an empty husk. He had seen things like this happen to many before her, humans and demons, it mattered not. Any creature could fall prey to sadness. But he was curious as to what had happened to her to cause someone who was once so vivacious to crumble away. Was it the same thing that had happened to make her vanish in the blink of an eye so many centuries ago?

He signaled the barman over and instructed him that he would be picking up the woman's tab. He received an inquisitive look from the man, but then with only a shrug of his shoulders, the man wandered off once again to attend to his other patrons.

Sesshomaru returned his attentions to the woman who was his brother's miko, and yet was not. She was gone. Whipping his head to the side he saw her walk into the bathroom. Standing swiftly, he followed her and stood beside the door, confident that when she emerged, he would confront her about all the questions that were currently plaguing him.

But then he had heard the one thing that could have stopped him from following through. So soft that no human ears would ever recognize the sound, he discerned quiet sobs.

He would later blame his actions on the liquor, but without a thought, he grabbed the door handle and flung the door open wide to reveal Kagome curled into a ball in the corner, crying. Stepping gracefully into the bathroom, he looked down upon this once powerful and now simply shattered creature. She was so far gone that she had yet to notice that she was no longer safely secluded. He had no idea why, but he was angry and sad at the same time. It was uncomfortable and disconcerting. He hated the feeling.

"Stand up woman. This is unbecoming of someone such as you."

Kagome brought her head up, her eyes searching out the familiar voice that had just sounded out a command at her. She had every intention of telling this man exactly where he could cram it when she caught sight of thick white hair. Trying desperately to focus, her glazed blue eyes locked onto narrowed amber ones.

"Sesshomaru?" she finally managed to slur out.


	4. A Taiyoukai's Resolve

He sat behind his large mahogany desk, lost in his thoughts. It was atypical for him to do so, and he was well aware of this fact. On a typical day, he would be here, on the top floor of his building, absorbed in work or perhaps at some meeting, furiously correcting everyone else's mistakes and misconceptions regarding his business's future.

But not today. Today he found his thoughts devoted wholly to the broken little woman who had once belonged to Inuyasha. Despite his best intentions, he had been drawn to her. It had seemed some plan of the fates that he had found her on that night a week ago. What else could explain away the coincidence that, on the one rare evening he allowed himself to become lost to mourning a bygone era, abandoned himself fully to the feelings of remorse and loneliness these memories created in him, it was then that she had crossed his path? As he had indulged, for the first time in centuries, in thoughts of her, she had breezed through the door almost as though the last 500 years had never happened.

But there was no doubt that they had happened, just as he remembered them. She was the same, and yet she was not. No longer innocent and jubilant, she was now fractured and lost. He found himself, against his better judgment, feeling pity for her. For some reason that he could not fully grasp, he wanted to save her, restore her to her former glory. Perhaps he only wished for some reminder of the time that he had loved so desperately. Or maybe he wished to save her from herself and for another that he had so wronged so many years ago. Yes, he would rescue her for the sake of the hanyou who loved her. By saving her, he could consider his debt to Inuyasha repaid in full.

And so, for these and many other reasons, he had continued to frequent the grimy bar where he had first encountered her on that fateful evening. When he had confronted her that first night, as she cried her pain out on the bathroom floor, she had recognized him. And then, whether from disbelief, shock, or just the sheer volume of alcohol that she had imbibed, she had passed out. Reluctantly, he had picked her up and, ignoring the curious stares of the others in the bar, had carried her out onto the street. Once there, he had flagged down a cab, and withdrawing her identification from her purse, had given the driver more than enough money to take her to her listed place of residence. And then, never once thinking about his actions, he too had stepped into the cab and gone with her. She had slept the entire way to her home, which he was not surprised to discover was actually quite near the bar, and when they had arrived, he had once again picked her up and stepped out onto the street.

It was at that exact moment that his brain caught up with his actions. Looking down at the pitiful creature cradled in his strong arms, he was inwardly disgusted with himself. He felt a sneer begin to mar his perfect face as he continued to stare unblinkingly at the woman. A low growl began to work free from his throat, and he saw her open her eyes and tilt her face up to look at him. As blue crashed into amber, she only stared at him before softly saying "I've waited for so very long for you to come to me."

He was startled. She was waiting for him? He managed to contain his shock as he told her "Woman. You will clarify why you were waiting for this Sesshomaru."

"Oh. I wasn't waiting for you in particular, just for death. So when you kill me, make it quick. I'm so tired of the pain." She muttered.

Although he was unacquainted with the emotion, he was truly flabbergasted. Did she long for death so much? Perhaps he should do them both the favor and release her from this mortal coil? Looking down into her face, he realized that she had passed out again. He wanted to kill her; to spill her blood here in the darkened streets of Tokyo and finish what he had certainly started many centuries ago.

But he found that he could not. There would be no joy in the death of a creature who was so broken. He would find no release in such an action. And so, with a heavy sigh, he had carried her into her building, to the elevator and through her front door.

Her furnishings were spartan, to say the least, and yet he could not deny that the place surely cost someone a pretty penny. The apartment was more than spacious, with vaulted ceilings and wide rooms, most of which had their own private balconies. This woman had money coming from somewhere, but he was certain that it did not stem from her. Another mystery.

With a soft grunt he placed her on the single couch and placed her into what would be considered a comfortable position. Why should he care how she made ends meet? It was no concern of his. He reinforced the fact that he did not care by walking to her door. He reached for the handle before casting one final glance at her from over his shoulder.

She was absolutely pathetic, curled up on her couch, shivering. Hissing softly from between clenched teeth, he stormed over to her and watched her as her teeth chattered in her sleep. Incensed by what he was doing, he walked down a long hall to what was obviously her bedroom and gathered up a soft comforter from her bed. Still furiously stomping, he returned to the miko and placed the blanket atop her.

Looking down at her to make sure that he had indeed accomplished what he had set out to do, he found himself thinking of his human ward from the feudal era. As he stared at her, once again lost to times of long before, he found himself suddenly sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch. She was very much like his Rin. She too had a pure and open heart. Both had become beautiful young women. He reached out one large hand and gently pushed a stray strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind one delicately curved ear.

He realized now, sitting at his desk, safely away from her on the forty-third story of his main complex, that had been the moment his decision had been made. Looking at her there, in all her shattered splendor, he had resolved to save her, remake her, heal her. Even though she had become a mere fragment of what she had once been, she had still lured him in; drawn the mighty taiyoukai to her. He shook his head and allowed himself a small, and rare, smile.

His hand fell to his pocket and toyed with a delicate article of cloth that he had taken from her home only the night before. He had continued to return to that bar on a nightly basis, never coming close to her until she was so intoxicated that she would not remember his presence. He would either gather her in his arms after she passed out, or follow her and some strange male to her home. Once there, he would follow them to her door and as she left the man standing in her living room, he would enter and persuade the man to leave. They always left. Sometimes there were questions, but he had never had to answer a single one. Sometimes silence inspired more fear than words. He knew that she was always perplexed as to why her evening company had departed so hastily, but he had not yet decided to confront her while she was somewhat sober. He was going to rescue her, certainly, but she did not need to know this yet. And he certainly was not going to share with her the reasons why he was going to do so. As much as it irked him, he was not yet prepared to share these reasons with her or anyone else. She would know, but not yet.

He pulled forth the delicate bit of lace and allowed her scent to permeate his office. Inhaling deeply, his eyes closed and another rare smile graced his mouth.

The heavy door to his inner sanctum burst open with a sudden shove. Golden eyes shooting open while hastily shoving the very telling bit of lace back into his pocket, Sesshomaru released a growl at the invader of his privacy. There was only one creature who would be so brash as to enter in such fashion. Eyes narrowing, he glared at the wide-eyed ookami before him.

"Kouga. What would bring you to so abandon your few senses and invade my office in such a way?" He growled out. He saw the wide-eyed look the ookami cast him as the wolf scented the air. Further narrowing his eyes, he continued, "Do you find something amiss here wolf?"

Coming back to reality, Kouga realized the precarious nature of his current position. "Uh, no Sesshomaru-sama. It's just that I thought I smelled..." he trailed off.

"Yes?" The taiyoukai questioned dangerously.

"Nothing. Anyway, I thought that I'd let you know that you're American representative would be returning next week." Kouga was still sniffing at the air, more and more certain that he was indeed smelling Kagome. But it couldn't be. She had disappeared before Naraku had even been defeated. She had been a mortal, and surely had died many centuries ago. But that smell was undeniably hers... Why was it here, in Sesshomaru's office though?

"Thank you Kouga. If you have nothing else to tell me, then you are free to leave." Sesshomaru told him blandly. He had noticed the wolf scenting the air, and as lacking as he could be in some respects, if he was allowed to remain here much longer, even he would be able to put two and two together.

"Oh, yeah. Okay." The wolf was near speechless from this discovery and knew that it was time to go. Turning, he began to close the door behind him when he heard the taiyoukai's final statement.

"And Kouga, never again will you encroach on my privacy by invading my office in such a manner. In the future, you will inform me of your arrival before you come crashing in here."

There was no mistake, Sesshomaru was furious. But why? Normally, he would be irritated, but so obviously enraged? His tone was cool, but the words were clear. Kouga didn't know what the tayoukai was trying to hide, but he was certain it had something to do with a miko from long ago. Could it be that he had found her? That she had survived so many years?

A bright smile lit the ookami's face as he walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor.


	5. Taiyoukai And Miko Meet

She was going crazy. That was the only conclusion she could come to. Night after night, for the past week, she had been seeing Sesshomaru. Or imagining him as the case may be. She would go to the bar, get drunk, and inevitably the taiyoukai from her past would make an appearance. Of all the people for her alcohol addled brain to conjure up, why would it choose him?

Of course, this was a bad sign. Hallucinations were definitely a bad indication as to her excessive drinking. But she was doing her best to ignore it, as sobriety was not a viable option. So, she continued to frequent the lackluster bar and drink away her memories of the boy with the koinu ears. She tried to pick up men to take home, but when she left them alone for mere moments, they were always mysteriously gone upon her return. This was also worrisome. Had she really become so revolting that now even other drunks could not find her attractive?

And where the hell were her panties? As if disappearing men and taiyoukai mirages weren't enough, now she had to deal with the vanishing act of her favorite lace thong! Rummaging around her underware drawer, she finally settled on a different pair and headed towards the door.

She could only hope that all her demons, inner and imaginary, would take a night off so she could get drunk in peace.

He knew that he had almost been caught. That damned ookami had known that he was up to something. Of course, of all the creatures to breach his inner sanctum while he was indulging in the scent of the miko, it would have to be the wolf. The one other in Japan who would know her scent immediately. Sesshomaru cringed at the thought.

Things had begun to move at their own pace, and although he was not particularly prepared for what he was about to do, he was helpless to postpone it. The wolf knew something, the man from America was about to return, and he himself was becoming tangled in something. There was no reason for him to have stopped her midnight trysts, no reason to abscond with a certain article of her clothing. And there was certainly no excuse for the way that he had been indulging in her scent this afternoon.

His thoughts ran free as he walked to the now familiar bar hidden away in a dark and mostly unused Tokyo street. As he sauntered up to the door, he realized that this would be the first time he would actually speak with the miko. He cringed again before composing himself and pushing his way inside.

The place was dark and smoke filled as always. But now that he had become accustomed to it, he caught the miko's scent immediately. Following it, he walked up to her place at the bar. She had her back turned to him as she sipped her drink slowly, and she never noticed his approach.

Reaching out one large hand, he grasped her shoulder. She immediately turned in her seat and as ocean blue crashed into molten honey, he prepared himself for a reaction that did not come.

He had expected her to scream, show shock, anything. Yet she only stared back at him with a blank expression on her face.

The silence stretched out to epic proportions.

Finally she lowered her eyes and muttered "Shit. I knew I shouldn't have had that drink before I left the house."

It should not have been humorous, but for some reason, it was. Sesshomaru tipped his head back and laughed. Of all the things he would have expected from her, this was quite far down on the list. He caught her eye as his mirth ceased, and noticed with a bit of pleasure that she was indeed quite sober. As sober as he had ever seen her before in any case.

"See, now I know I'm going crazy. The Sesshomaru that I knew would never have laughed." And here she grabbed her glass and threw back the drink in one swallow.

None of this was going as planned, but then again, he hadn't really had the time to formulate a course of action. Releasing her shoulder, he took a seat beside her at the bar and held up two fingers at the bartender. When the drinks arrived, she gripped hers tightly and once again decimated the beverage. Taking a sip, he was shocked to discover that she had been belting back pure and unadulterated vodka. He frowned at the taste, vodka never having been his drink of choice, and pushed the second glass over to her.

"This drink is vile miko." he told her coolly.

She looked at him for a moment, seemingly utterly bewildered, then with a shrug of her shoulders, she moved to down his glass as well.

Oh yes, she was most assuredly a practiced hand at this, but he didn't want her too drunk this soon. He grasped her wrist before the glass could touch her lips and forced her hand back to the bar. She gave him another odd look before focusing her attentions on the very real hand that held her own.

"So you're real then?" She asked him, never looking away from the hand that bore the tell-tale magenta streaks upon it. "You've actually been coming here for the past week?"

"Indeed." He said gently, confirming her assertions.

"Why?" She now looked into his eyes, and the amount of sadness he saw in hers was torturous.

"I came here one night to forget about my own problems. As I sat here, dwelling on the past, you came through the door. It was as though time had stood still. I doubted that you were in fact Inuyasha's wench, but then I heard you mutter a comment about knowing someone from 500 years ago. I could no longer deny what my nose told me, and so, out of curiosity, I returned here."

"Hn." That was all she said, a phrase he was well acquainted with. She moved to resume her drinking and he tightened his hold on her.

"I told you that the drink is vile woman." he informed her.

Eyes ablaze, she raised her face to look at him. "It may be vile to you, but it serves its purpose for me." she spat out.

If nothing else, he had caught a glimpse of the old spark of life that had once filled her. He was pleased to know that despite her broken appearance, at least some ember of her fire still burned within her soul. He gently turned her loose and watched as she consumed her drink with the usual haste. "And what purpose is that woman?" He asked when she literally slammed the glass down.

"What do you care Sesshomaru? Why are you here, questioning me? What gives you any right to do so? In case you've forgotten, we were never friends. In fact we tried to kill each other on more than one occasion. The only connection I have to you is that I loved your brother." Her voice broke and she turned away from him.

So that was it then. She was drinking in an attempt to drown the love she had for Inuyasha. But if that was indeed the case, why had she disappeared so long ago? Why had she not remained and mated the hanyou? Casting a questioning gaze in her direction, he saw that the bartender had set another drink before her. He was startled to find that there was also a glass of whisky now in front of him.

"He made me leave in case you wondering." she said softly while staring at the pitted surface of the bar. "I didn't want to."

How was it that she seemed to know exactly what he was thinking? She had always been odd, but this... this was more than strange. No creature had ever shared any sort of bond with him, and certainly, there had never before been a time where he felt so intimately connected to another. Was it simply a matter of sharing history? But the ookami had never been able to understand him so completely. And he hardly knew this woman after all. Not liking the direction in which his thoughts were headed, he followed her example and downed his drink.

Feeling the burn as the whisky coursed through him, he focused his attentions back on the woman beside him. With a soft sigh, he realized that she was, once again, inebriated. She had laid her head on her arm and appeared to have dozed off at the bar.

Withdrawing his credit card from his wallet, he paid their tabs and picked her up. Carrying her out of the bar, he flagged down a cab and settled them both into it. He gave the driver his address and they headed out into the night.


	6. The Taiyoukai's Home

He couldn't believe he had done it. Of course, he had been more than curious as soon as the first whiff of his woman had hit his nostrils, but still he wondered whether he was really sane. What had he been thinking, following Sesshomaru through the darkening Tokyo streets? Did he really expect that the inuyoukai was going to meet up somewhere with Kagome? More importantly, did he really think that he wouldn't get caught?

Well, she was his woman after all, and if he had to die to see her again, so be it.

Decision made, he had tailed his boss as he left the building and headed down to an area of town that Kouga could only think of as "seedy." And that was being generous. To his growing disbelief, he had watched as Seshomaru walked for an hour and then entered a bar that most people wouldn't even have noticed, let alone ventured into. Kouga wondered how the taiyoukai had found the place and what exactly he was going in there for. But he was only left to his curious thoughts, as entering such a small building and expecting not to get caught was completely out of the question.

And so he had waited there, in the shadows of the dark alley, watching the door for any sign of Sesshomaru or Kagome. He had a hard time believing that his woman had lived for so many years, but the scent of her in that office had been undeniably fresh. He didn't understand it, but he knew that Sesshomaru, of all people, had somehow found evidence of her.

After about an hour, Kouga was getting cold and was ready to pack it all in. Turning away from the bar, he began his long walk back to the office and his car. Just as he had gotten about a block away, he heard the door open and the noise of the bar escaping into the night. Turning his head so fast that anyone near him would have heard the air snap from the motion, he only caught sight of two things.

The first was thick white hair and undeniably the tall form of Sesshomaru. The second was a glimpse of two long and well-shaped legs disappearing into the back of a cab.

Since when did Sesshomaru travel to such lowly establishments to pick-up women? He wondered.

Strike that. Since when did Sesshomaru pick-up women at all?

Once they had arrived at his home, he had once again lifted the woman into his arms. This time he carried her into his house instead of her apartment. Being careful of her head so as not to hit it on the door frame, he carried her through the front door. Noting that she reeked of stale cigarette smoke and liquor, he promptly took her to the nearest bathroom.

Now he was in a predicament, hands full of miko, he had no way to wake her. If he could not do so, it was going to be terribly difficult to manage turning on the taps and running her a bath. He had only one course of action, and so with only a slight grimace, he bent his head down to her and pushed his nose into her neck. While she groaned softly, she did not wake. He was encouraged by the fact that she had made some sort of response though, so he did it again, a little more forcefully than before.

Kagome awoke to the feeling of someone nuzzling into her neck. Cracking one eye open she peered at the person who was disturbing her sleep.

Blue met amber and for a moment the world stopped spinning.

"What the hell are you doing Sesshomaru?" She hissed.

He only rolled his eyes at her. "Trying to wake you up, miko, so that you can bathe." His voice was absolutely dripping with disdain.

Kagome looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. "Where am I? And why do I need a bath?" she asked him suspiciously. After all, it's not every night that one wakes up in the arms of a youkai while he's nuzzling into your neck. Not comforting when you tend to be drunk and easy and he used to want to kill you.

"You are at my home. You need to bathe because you reek of the bar. It is unpleasant." He seemed bored.

Okay, Kagome was now certain that this night definitely belonged on the Wall of Weird. "So put me down already." she told him, voice implying that she was stating the obvious.

He unceremoniously did so, almost causing her to fall square on her backside. Looking down at her, he could feel the power thrum from her little body. Secretly he was pleased that she continued to show signs of her old self, but she was becoming rather infuriating.

"Well, are you going to leave and let me bathe, or are you just going to stand there staring?" she asked him haughtily.

"Will you be able to keep from drowning if I leave?" He shot back.

"Oh for Gods sake." She sighed from between clenched teeth. Before he knew what had happened, she had reached both hands up and shoved him in the chest. He took a large step backward in an attempt to regain his balance and she immediately slammed the door in his face. Sesshomaru heard the lock click into place.

He was tempted at first to break down the door. Then he realized that he would only be damaging his own property. He heard the water start to pour into the bathtub and with a sigh he walked away from the door and down the hall to find her something clean to wear.

After 45 minutes, he realized that he was pacing. He had only been responding to her verbal jabs when he had questioned her ability to keep from drowning. And yet, nearly an hour later and she had yet to emerge. He would give her 10 more minutes, and then he was going to break down that damned door, his property or not.

Striding up to the door who's future hung so precariously in the balance, he listened for signs of life. There was no water sloshing, no female voice, no human noises that he could detect. This was troublesome. The last thing he needed was a dead woman in his home. How to explain to the authorities that he, Sesshomaru Taisho, owner of the largest communications company in the world, had a deceased miko in his bathroom? Infuriating! Why had he ever thought to try and help this creature anyway?

And then the lock had clicked, the door had opened, and she had stood there, wrapped in a towel and leaning on the doorframe.

She was breathtaking. Long black hair cascading in waves down her back, face flush from the heat of the water, fluffy white towel hugging her soft curves and barely covering her most secret of places. She was like a glistening, damp ethereal being in his vision. Perhaps helping her was not the worst idea to have ever crossed his mind.

"I see that you've developed a real staring problem over the centuries Sesshomaru."

He was snapped out of his thoughts by her callous remark. Giving his head and almost imperceptible shake, he sarcastically told her "I am merely thrilled that you did not expire in bathtub." Tossing the clothes he had selected for her at her feet he continued "You may wear these." Turning his back on her, he left her to change, determined not to turn back and observe as she bent over to retrieve the clothes.


	7. Sweet Dreams

He had left her there to change, and honestly tired of her attitude, had gone to bed. He had undressed and without sparing her a second thought, climbed between the silk sheets. Setting his cell phone to vibrate and placing it on the table beside his bed he laid back, placed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling.

She was feisty, he would give her that much. But he had always known that she possessed a fiery nature beneath that sweet exterior. But the bitterness with which she verbally assaulted him this evening, that was new. He wondered again what it was that could have caused such a change in her. He knew now that she was drowning her sorrows for the lost love of the hanyou, but why did she consider it lost in the first place? After all, it wasn't as though she had caused his death. She had told him herself that Inuyasha had made her leave.

Leave? What did that mean really? How was it that she was still alive here in Tokyo? Thinking back, he recalled the way that she had dressed in that ridiculously short green skirt.

And then it him. He sat bolt upright in his bed. How many times had he seen uniforms just like that one gracing the pre-pubescent schoolgirls of this time? How had he not put that together before this very moment? This miko was FROM this time! She hadn't lived for 500 years at all! She had merely returned to her rightful place so many years ago. While he had lived through the past five centuries, she had only lived through, what? Three years? Four at the most?

For a moment he thought about storming out into the other room and asking her how exactly she had traveled through time. If she could go back to his beloved feudal era, then why couldn't he? As one long pajama clad leg slipped out from between the sheets, he caught himself.

If she so desperately loved Inuyasha she would certainly have returned to him. If she had been able to. Apparently, she had not been able to do so. She had somehow become stuck here, in her rightful time. "He made me leave, in case you were wondering." She had told him that this very night. So, the hanyou had sent her away. Why? Did he not return her love? Or did he sacrifice it to save her? Knowing the half-breed, it could have gone either way.

Relaxing back into the pillows, Sesshomaru resolved that he would get some answers in the morning. He would try the main two sources first. If that failed, he would result to questioning the ookami.

She couldn't believe it. He had left her here, in this strange house, with no instructions as to where she was to stay. She stalked over to the couch and tried to lay down.

After laying there and staring up at the vaulted ceiling for an hour, Kagome gave up. She couldn't sleep without a blanket. Not to mention the fact that although he had brought her a t-shirt to sleep in, underware did not seem to be a priority for the taiyoukai. She hadn't really expected panties, but come on! Would it be so hard to share a pair of boxers for a night? After all, he was the one who had brought her here. But no, she was stuck with just a shirt. Great. Okay, so the thing was long enough to cover her to mid-thigh, but that was not going to work if he expected her to sleep somewhere without a blanket.

Heaving a sigh, she stood up and started to explore her new surroundings. Nice kitchen to the left of the main room; it seemed to have everything a master chef could want in their home. Did he cook then? She pictured Sesshomaru chopping up veggies and wearing an apron that said "Kiss the cook!" on it. She snorted at the mental image. Time to move on.

Turning around, she faced the door to the bathroom she had just used. "No help there." she thought to herself. Moving down a long hallway, she came to a door that was tightly shut. It had to be his bedroom. Had to be. Well, she was just going to march in there and get a blanket dammit! And a pair of boxers or something.

Pushing open the door as quietly as she could, she stuck her head in the room. It was dark and she could hear the soft sounds of breathing. Pushing the door open a little wider, she tip-toed inside.

She waited for a few minutes to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness that now surrounded her. And then she took one cautious step towards the bed. Moving closer, she finally laid eyes on her sleeping host.

She took a moment to marvel at how peaceful and serene he looked. His white hair contrasted sharply with the dark sheets. And were those things really silk? She reached out a hand to caress the fabric between two fingers and a thumb. Yep, definitely silk. She had already surmised that Sesshomaru had become quite wealthy over the centuries, but who would have know that he would actually indulge in something like silk sheets? She looked down at his sleeping face again, thinking that perhaps she had never really given him a chance. She didn't really know him at all, and yet she had assumed that he had not made any changes in the past, oh 500 years. It seemed a little unfair now that she thought about it.

But back to the sheets. Man, she had never dreamed of sleeping in silk sheets. But maybe this was her opportunity? If she was really careful, really quiet, and only stayed for a moment, maybe, just maybe she could slip between those things? Get a real feel for luxury? But if he woke up and caught her... All sorts of nasty possibilities for her death flashed before her eyes. But surely he didn't go around killing people anymore? He seemed to be highly successful after all, and CEO's or whatever just couldn't go around offing folks.

She stood there in the dark, listening to him breathe in his sleep, fingering the silk sheets and knew she was going to risk it. After all, if she died tonight, what was the harm? She had been out looking for death for years now. At least when the taiyoukai killed her she would have experienced the feeling of being encased in silk.

Mind made up, she carefully moved to the other side of the bed and lifted up the sheet. Breathing out quickly, she then held her breath as she carefully made her way into Sesshomaru's bed.

There! She had done it and he was none the wiser! Kagome did a little dance of celebration in her head, but lost focus as the cool, slick fabric wrapped around her. She sighed softly. Now this was bliss. Too bad she'd only get to experience it for a few minutes.

Her whole body tensed as the taiyoukai beside her shifted his weight in his sleep. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to think happy thoughts. He was not going to wake up and catch her here, in his bed, uninvited. Nope, he was going to stay asleep in his happy little dream-land, chasing squirrels or whatever inu demons fantasized about when they slept. Yep, she was going to be fine. No problems here.

It took everything she had to not scream when a strong arm wrapped around her midsection and pulled her to the demon next to her. Sesshomaru pulled her back in closer to his chest and nuzzled his face into her neck. She was worried that she was totally busted until he sighed softly in his sleep and his breathing returned to the slow steady rhythm that could only mean he continued to slumber.

Not even daring to sigh in relief, Kagome slowly relaxed in his hold. She tried to wriggle out from under his arm, but he only held her closer. Finally, she gave up to the inevitable and yawned. What could she do? She would have to stay here, wrapped in silk sheets, with a successful and attractive man who would most assuredly be there when she woke up in the morning. It all actually sounded like a pretty sweet deal to Kagome.

If you left out the part about impending doom that is.


	8. Morning WakeUp Call

Sesshomaru awoke to the buzzing of his cell phone. Reaching over to the table beside his bed, he grabbed the annoying contraption and uttered a low growl. Opening his eyes, he saw that it was 5:23 a.m. Flipping open the phone he ground out "This had better be extremely important."

He almost heard the ookami wince before telling him that it was indeed important and that he would never call at such an hour if it weren't about something dire. And then he actually did hear something, a soft sigh, from the other side of his bed. Craning his neck he looked at the pile of raven tresses spread out on the pillow beside him. He closed his eyes in utter exasperation. The miko had crawled into his bed during the night? Just what he needed.

He returned his attentions to the phone and attempted to forget about giving the woman a taste of his poison claws. "So what is this important issue that warranted a call to my personal line at 5:30 in the morning?"

"It's just that the American representative is coming home earlier than originally planned. I just thought that you'd want to know." Once again, Kouga was struck by the fact that the taiyoukai was so angry. This was another situation that he would typically be nonplussed about, but the absolute seething rage in his voice was unexpected.

Sesshomaru was about to tell the ookami that everything was fine, that arrangements would be altered for the early arrival, when the miko snuggled up to his chest and pushed her backside tightly against his groin. Instead of informing the wolf of anything official, Sesshomaru grunted. She was Inuyasha's, she was an alcoholic, and everything about her spelled trouble in bright flashing neon lights, but he could not deny that she had become a very attractive woman. And the power that raged just below her surface continued to intrigue him. Trying to stop this dangerous train of thought, he pushed his body away from hers.

"That is fine. I will make the proper arrangements for his arrival. How soon is he expected?" He was lucky he got that far, because the sleepy little miko, apparently sensing the loss of warmth scooted back against him again. This time she was even more forceful in her pushing of her back against him and as her round little backside met his now hard length for the second time, his hips shot forward to push into her of their own accord. He released a deep groan as she subconsciously responded to him by pushing backwards again. He met he with another forceful thrust of his own.

She was so warm and it had been years since he had shared his bed with another. Obviously it was not a good idea to go so long without a good rut, because he was quickly becoming lost to a sleeping miko's seduction. He lifted the sheet up with one hand to peer below. He had no real reason for doing this, other than curiosity, but when he did, the scent of her heated arousal hit him like a truck. Just before he slammed the sheet back down, he noticed that she wasn't wearing anything but the t-shirt he had left for her, and that article of clothing had worked it's way up above her hips while she slept. Thus, he was granted with a nice glimpse of her long legs, well curved ass, and toned thighs. A little whining noise came from him. He hadn't even known he could make a sound like that. He would have scooted away from her again if it weren't for the fact that he would fall off the bed while in the process.

Kagome had begun to wake up, and not remembering much about the prior night only knew that she was very warm, in a bed, and there appeared to be a man behind her. She vaguely realized that he was talking on the phone, and she smiled at the fact that he had remained with her for the entire night. She snuggled more deeply into his warmth and then felt his arousal pressing into her backside. Still half asleep, she reached a small hand back to stroke the man's leg.

Sesshomaru thought that wolf was speaking to him, but he was no longer sure since the woman was now lightly trailing her fingers over his thigh. He wanted to shake her, make her realize what she was doing, but he could not do such a thing with the wolf on the phone. And the ookami didn't seem to feel like shutting up. But if he woke her now, she would inevitably say something, and the wolf would realize that he was with her. That was NOT an option.

"When did you say that he would be arriving?" Sesshomaru questioned.

Kouga was worried. It wasn't like Sesshomaru to miss something important like that. Something was definitely up. And what was with all the weird noises? "I said he'd be getting here tomorrow night."

Tomorrow night? That was quite possibly the worst news he had heard in years. He wasn't prepared for the homecoming yet, and a day gave him almost no time. He was about to tell the wolf off when a small hand wrapped around his now painful erection and gave a gentle pull. His eyes closed and his hips thrust forward into the warm little hand. That single touch had sealed his fate. He gave himself up for lost.

His hand slipped below the sheet and stroked the woman's smooth thigh. As if on command, her long legs parted slightly, allowing him instant access to her heated core. His hand slipped in between said legs and caressed the miko's dripping folds. She was already primed and ready, and he was thankful. Having denied himself for so long, his beast wanted to commence the rutting as soon as possible. He slipped one long finger inside of her and she let loose a throaty moan. He continued to thrust into her for a few moments before he felt her small hand once again seize his hardened length. She pulled him gently forward and placed his head and her very center.

He groaned deeply as he felt her wet heat so near his cock. But the ookami was still yattering away about something on the phone, questioning him as to what he should do to prepare. Sesshomaru had no patience for this anymore and growled out "Just fucking deal with it wolf!" before closing the phone and throwing it across the room.

With one smooth thrust he was inside of her and he took a moment to savor the tightness that sheathed him. She was incredibly hot and wet, and he felt as though her body were made just for him. She moaned and pushed back against him, and he understood she wanted more. But this was not satisfactory. Gripping her hips tightly, he flipped her onto her knees, never once breaking their connection.

She lowered her upper body down to the bed and raised her backside up to him. He growled his approval and began to thrust into her with abandon. He reached one large hand down to cup her breast and tweak her nipple before moving down her belly to the cleft between her legs. He rubbed her pearl gently and she mewled in response. He began to push into her faster and harder and he continued to stroke her bundle of nerves. He felt her inner walls begin to constrict almost painfully around him and then she came with a force he had never before experiences. He felt her walls flutter around him as her hot honey burst forth to coat his length. As she screamed her pleasure for all to hear, he gave one last hard thrust before spilling his seed into her and coating her womb. He roared out with his release and he felt his fangs lengthen from his beast's pleasure.

Breathing harshly, he removed himself from her and collapsed on the bed.

It was quite possibly the best quicky of Kagome's life and she turned to face the man who had given her such an incredible release. She found her self shocked when she looked at the face of her most recent lover.

"Oh crap! Sesshomaru?" She exclaimed.

Kouga was utterly shocked. Never in his life had he heard Seshomaru scream out the f-word. Never, not once. In all the meetings, all the conference calls, all the corporate take-overs, the taiyoukai had never reverted to such language. But this morning something had been different. The groans, the anger, the f-bomb. Putting all that together with the shapely legs he had seen go into the taxi before the taiyoukai's last night, the ookami could only reach one conclusion.

Picking up his phone, he dialed the one other person who could understand his shock and awe. When the connection was established and he heard the forcefully bit out "Hello?" he started in at rapid fire pace.

"Hey there mutt-face! I know you're never going to believe this, but I swear to the Kami and all that's holy that Sesshomaru just had a woman at his place!"

UH OH! Seems like a certain hanyou isn't as dead as we all thought huh? Well, it seems that more angst is on the way. And for those of you who haven't caught on, this story is just a fun way for me to please my inner hentai. I know, it has a plot! Holy crap! But I'm not really a plotless writer. Just can't do it. I also know that the first lemon was a bit short, but give me time and I'll give you steam! Besides, it couldn't exactly be all sweet and tender and LONG, since that would totally refute the situation.

Reviews are fuel, and not to sound ungrateful, but this poor little fic doesn't seem to get much love in that department…

omizumaru


	9. A Little History

"No fucking way! I was seriously beginning to think that bastard was gay!"

Kouga had anticipated the volume of the response and was currently holding his cell phone at arm's length. He was glad, since the hanyou on the other side of the world was literally screaming at him. "Hey puppy! Chill out! I've got something else to tell you about." He said into the phone while tentatively holding it closer to his ear.

"Well it sure as shit can't be anywhere near as exciting as Sesshomaru actually getting laid."

"I don't know mutt, I think it is."

"Yeah? So spill it already. I mean it's not like this call's costing me a fortune or anything" was the sarcastic reply.

"You know this is covered by the company, so quit whining already." Kouga was starting to think that telling the mutt about Kagome was a bad idea. The guy had still been pinning after her the last time Kouga had laid eyes on him, and now that they were business associates, it seemed as though renewing the fight over the miko was a bad move. The hanyou was pretty thick, so if he kept trying to change the subject, maybe the mutt would forget about the whole thing.

"So you gonna tell me what the big secret is or what flea-bag?"

Apparently he wasn't thick enough. With a sigh, Kouga began his story.

Sesshomaru sat at his desk and reflected on his morning escape. It was very unlike the taiyoukai to run from any situation, but rutting with the miko had seemed a worthy enough cause. After her shocked admission, he had simply stood, and walked out of the room. His final words had come as he crossed the bedroom's threshold; "That will never happen again miko." And then he had run.

In actuality, he hadn't run, but he might as well have. Never before had he dressed and been out the door so quickly. And the worst part? Only as he had exited his home did he realize that he had left his car at the office the night before. Taisho Sesshomaru had been forced to either call a cab from a payphone, or return to a house that now held nothing but reverberating feelings of shame, regret, and embarrassment. He had not even had the option of using his cell phone, as he had shattered it prior to his encounter with the woman.

Voicing a loud sigh, Sesshomaru dropped his head and placed his fingers on his temples. Trying to rub away the tension, he attempted to convince himself that his actions that morning really did cause him only remorse. Yet he could not lie to himself; although he did hold regrets, he also felt desire. That miko had made him feel alive again. The fact that she had been a fantastic bed partner was secondary to the fact that she made him feel the blood coursing through his veins. It had been a very long time since he had felt like himself- perhaps he hadn't felt this way since the Feudal Era. Whether it was her link to that time, or some other mysterious force at play, he did not know. The only thing that he was certain of was that she was dangerous. Despite his growing need for her, she was not his to take. If she had belonged to anyone other than Inuyasha, he may have absconded with her despite the other's claims. However, the fact remained that she was Inuyasha's, and he would not lower himself to stealing from his brother. It had taken a great many years for the two to form the precarious bond that they had now, and to steal her away from the hanyou that still pinned for her would irreparably damage that fragile connection. Though he had no great love for the always insolent whelp, Sesshomaru did possess the knowledge that he owed the boy for helping him with Rin.

When his little human ward had grown into a lovely woman and she had started a painfully obvious campaign to win her way into the taiyoukai's bed, it had been Inuyasha who had taken her to a village. He had also been the one to introduce her to the taijiya that he had traveled with, who in turn introduced her to a powerful family with a single son. They had hated each other, and then, one day, discovered that they had grown to love each other. They had married and for many centuries, Sesshomaru had watched from a distance as her decedents became more powerful and respected. Thus he knew that he had a great debt to Inuyasha to fulfill.

He had tried to repay the hanyou already- making him a partner in an incredibly affluent and powerful business, letting him head up the North American side of the business, granting the boy's every wish and smallest desire. But nothing he had done had seemed sufficient. No matter what Sesshomaru did, Inuyasha had never really been the same since the little miko had disappeared all those centuries before. He was still rude, uncouth, and insolent, but the vibrant spark of life that she had brought to his eyes was now gone. He seemed almost to plod along through life, never really satisfied or jovial. Gone was the boy with the sunlit eyes and once again in his place was the hanyou with the flat amber gaze. If he had changed merely from grief at the loss of the miko, perhaps Sesshomaru would have been able to write it off, but the taiyoukai could sense the rage and frustration that was boiling just below the surface. This feeling of foreboding regarding his brother of late had grown to such an extreme that Sesshomaru had finally decided to call the by home to Japan.

And then, not a day after telling Inuyasha to return, he had met her. It was as though fate had finally shown him a clear path to repaying and restoring his brother. Yes, she was a pitiful creature now, drunk and despondent, but he was Sesshomaru, and he would save her. He would reshape and polish her, bring forth her former glory and shine. And then he would reunite her with Inuyasha.

That had been the plan anyway. Sesshomaru sighed again and tried to recall the phrase concerning the best laid plans of men. With a snort he realized that he wasn't a man, so the whole thing was moot. Raising his head to glance at his computer screen, he saw that the current time was 2:45. Rolling his eyes, he knew that he would not accomplish anything productive on this day. Therefore, it was better to leave now and avoid the imminent and tedious questions from the ookami. Standing gracefully, he gathered his coat and walked out the door.

Reviews are, as always, fuel.


	10. Discoveries Part 1

The drive home from the office had been a long one, filled with anticipation. Sesshomaru was caught between two very opposite desires. On one hand, he hoped that the miko had left. He had been less than cordial after their rut, merely dressing and leaving, so possibly she would feel some sort of regret and escape during his absence. His hand on the handle of his front door, he pondered his other option.

She could have stayed. After all, he had not told her to leave, and she certainly didn't have a ready means of transport. He was forced to admit that perhaps she felt drawn to him due to their shared history. After all, he suffered from that same feeling.

With a long and anguished mental sigh he determined that he could not decide which outcome he would prefer. He did want her to be there when he walked in the door; there was something that bound them, something deeper than a simple rut. But he knew, deep within himself, that he needed her to be gone. He could never have her. She belonged to Inuyasha, and he was only the delivery man. It was harsh, but true. Equally true was the fact that in a little more than 24 hours, he would have to give her back to the one she truly belonged to. He had already defiled her, which would make things all the more difficult; to do so again was unthinkable.

Bracing himself, he opened the door and stepped inside.

What had he been thinking, telling the stupid mutt about his woman? Now the hanyou was more set on coming back to Japan than ever before.

But it was what Inuyasha had kept hidden from him through all these centuries that had him really ticked off. He had expected shock, outrage, surprise, relief, any number of emotions from the hanyou when he was told about the possibility of Kagome being alive. Silence was not one of the expected emotions. Nor was the statement that followed.

"Yeah, I knew it was about that time."

"What?" Kouga was at a loss. What the hell was the mutt talking about?

"I said it was about that time, or her time I guess. I've been counting the years since she left, and I knew she'd turn up about now. I'm just surprised that Sesshomaru was the one to find her. I always thought that I would get to see her again before anyone else did. Fuck, I knew I should have come home sooner."

"So you're telling me that you knew that Kagome was still alive and you never said anything about it to anyone?" Kouga was really pissed off now. Inuyasha hadn't been the only one to have mourned the loss of the little miko. The fact that the hanyou had sat around and watched as Kouga drowned in his sorrows for her, and had not said anything about her being alive was downright shitty.

"Don't take it personal. She wasn't really alive after all."

"Listen here you mangy mutt" Kouga all but screamed into the phone "You're not making one lick of sense! So you better tell me exactly what is going on or I swear to you that I will meet you at the airport and then kick your ass all the way back to America!"

"Keh. As if you could flea-bag! But I guess I might as well tell you. On one condition."

Oh, he didn't want to have to do anything in return for Inuyasha telling him about Kagome, but if he was going to find his woman, he was going to have to make some sacrifices. "Fine. What is it?"

"You've got to make sure that nothing happens to her before I get back. She and Sesshomaru had some... differences of opinions back in the Feudal Era, and if he's found her, he might hurt her. I want her kept fucking safe!" This last was said with a force and passion that Kouga hadn't heard from Inuyasha in centuries.

"Yeah man, I can do that." After all, he didn't want any harm to come to the innocent little miko either. And then Inuyasha began to tell him a very strange story about a well, a portal, a hanyou, and a girl from the future.

Reviews are fuel. I love them, and they inspire me to keep on trucking. If you like what I do, please take a little time to let me know.

Thanks!

omizumaru


	11. Possibilities

Eyes closed, he inhaled lightly. "She is here" his mind told him. Opening his eyes, he walked through his house with near trepidation. As he moved closer to his bedroom, her scent grew stronger and his breathing shallower. He was beginning to understand exactly why he had wanted her to have vacated his home. As he came nearer to the source of the sweet and tantalizing scent that now filled every room, he felt a burning need within him flare into life. He did his best to ignore his growing desires, not to mention the tightening of his groin, but it was all to no avail. He needed to regain his senses. He needed to come back to himself. He needed a shower.

Stepping into his bedroom, he was met with a sight that nearly undid all of his careful mental planning. There was the miko, now dressed in one of his button down designer shirts, stretched out and asleep on his bed. The shirt was far too big for her, but something about the way it draped about her little body was endearing to Sesshomaru. He had been so concerned with her mental distress and the flaring of her miko powers that he had forgotten to take stock of just how tiny she really was. Yes she had matured since her travels with the hanyou, but her height and physical structure remained much the same. She had a woman's curves, ample and dangerous curves really, but she was without a doubt petite. The large shirt flowing over her small body made a strange memory and new desire burst forth from within.

"Have you something to protect?"

It was the last thing that his father had ever said to him. At the time he had thought his father mad, but now, looking upon this small and fragile woman wrapped in a shirt that was four sizes too large, Sesshomaru came to grips with his father's question. He did indeed desire to protect this miko. She was so tiny, despite her long, smooth legs. Legs that seemed to stretch out into eternity before finally joining a pert and well curved backside...

Shaking his head to clear the licentious thoughts, he turned away from the distraction before him. Since when had he become a hentai?

Pausing to glance down at the obvious erection that his pants could no longer disguise, he determined that it was past time for that shower.

It was going to be a cold one.

She awoke to the sound of a shower running. Looking over to the clock on the bedside table, Kagome noted that the display read 3:42. Surely that was early for Sesshomaru to be home from work. It seemed uncharacteristic of the taiyoukai to leave the office early. This new Sesshomaru was seemingly full of surprises.

Stretching languidly, Kagome rolled over to see that not only was her host home early, but also that his expensive suit jacket had been flung unceremoniously on the floor. She wondered if he was angry that she was still here, or if all of this strange behavior centered around something else.

Kagome was no fool. She knew that her heart still ached for Inuyasha. But something about being with Sesshomaru had begun to ease that pain. Although she had been appropriately shocked when she had discovered that he had been the source of her pleasure that morning, she could not bring herself to feel ashamed or appalled. Normally, with any of her other one night stands, she would have felt something akin to those emotions. But this morning had been different. And that was part of why she had stayed.

It was true that she didn't have a car to drive home, but she did have a purse with cash. And Sesshomaru did have phones in his home, so calling a taxi was not an impossibility. She could have even called one of her friends. Sure, she hadn't spoken to most of them in months, but they would have been more than willing to come and give her a lift. But she hadn't. Instead, she had wandered around the house, having a bite to eat, watching a little television, and the having a quick nap.

What she hadn't had the desire to do since coming here was drink. On any normal day, she would have been at the bar already, or suffering from the shakes if she was unable to get a drink. But not today. Today, Kagome felt alive, and somehow it all came back to him. So she had determined that she would stay for as long as she was allowed to do so. And despite the fact that he had told her that they would never be intimate again before leaving in a typically brusque Sesshomaru fashion, she had seen desire burning behind his eyes when he turned to glance at her. She knew it was wrong, after all, she loved his brother, but Kami help her, she yearned for his touch as well. This morning had been so quick, and she had been half-asleep for most of it. Kagome wanted more. She felt her thighs growing slick with moisture at the memories.

Standing and looking at the closed door to the master bath, Kagome thought that now might be an excellent time to find out if she really had seen lust lurking behind Sesshomaru's cold words.

Thank you to the reviewers; your words are my fuel.

omizumaru


	12. A Challenge Issued

Sesshomaru placed his open palms against the tiled shower wall and leaned into the water. Tipping his head further forward, he let the hot water rush through his hair and down his back. Closing his eyes, he let his thoughts wander.

"She is attractive" his demon murmured.

"She is human" his rational mind responded.

"But she is powerful."

"She is damaged."

"She can be salvaged and restored."

"She is not mine to take!"

Sesshomaru's demon went strangely mute and he felt victorious.

"She could be..." His demon whispered.

He let out a long sigh. Yes, she could be. He was all too aware of that fact. That she desired him, he had little doubt, and he certainly returned her feelings. But there was nothing to be done about the situation. The implications of his continuing his amorous activities with her were all too clear. A rut was one thing, but this... whatever it was, was something else entirely. He already shared an attachment with her, and if they were to continue, he understood that simple sex would no longer suffice. They would become more bonded then they already were, and that was wholly unacceptable. He had spent centuries cultivating his lifestyle, one that he led alone, with no need for ties and attachments. He had been raised a solitary warrior, and he was incredibly successful. Too change things now would be ludicrous.

She was also Inuyasha's. On that issue, there was nothing more to be said. Although he had been dreading the hanyou's return with something akin to trepidation, he now determined that it could not come soon enough. The more rapidly he could pass the miko off to her rightful mate, the sooner things would get back to normal. To continue thoughts of bedding her again, or anything more than safe-keeping her until Inuyasha arrived, was preposterous. The miko didn't just come with a few strings attached; she came with a thickly woven rope.

He had convinced himself and was confident in his abilities to abstain from any sort of inappropriate behavior with the woman until he heard the bathroom door open.

Gritting his teeth and setting his jaw, he knew that it was some act of fate. A coincidence, surely, for even she would not be so daft and bold as to encroach upon his privacy in such a manner. Even as he heard the rustle of clothing, he continued to be optimistic. Perhaps she had only left something in the bathroom and now needed it? Or maybe she was worried that someone other than himself had come into the home?

When the shower door opened, he could no longer attempt to delude himself.

"She has great courage." He could hear the implied laughter of his beast.

"She is obviously daft." He kept his eyes closed and prayed to every God he knew that this was not really happening. This could not possibly be his life.

And then he felt delicate fingers fluttering over his hips.

"I never knew you had markings in other places." Kagome's voice was soft as she traced the maroon slashes that crossed his pelvis and dipped down to point suggestively to his groin.

"I did not feel that it was pertinent information for you to have miko. Why have you dared to interrupt this Sesshomaru during his shower? I had no plans to share my bathing experience." He was trying very hard not to let his voice deceive him. He did not want her to know the power that her simple touch was having on him.

"So we're back to 'this Sesshomaru?'" He heard her sigh. "But I think you know why I'm here."

"Truly woman, as powerful as this Sesshomaru is, mind reading is not his forte." Sesshomaru, eyes still closed, palms still pressed firmly to the wall, refused to look at her. He felt her fingers slip away from his flesh and inwardly sighed in relief.

"I'm here because you want me" she stated simply.

She certainly wasn't one to mince words. "You are incorrect woman. Do not deceive yourself; this Sesshomaru has no interest in your body or it's questionable charms." If he had to be malicious to keep them safe from themselves so be it.

"You lie" she hissed. Kagome took a step backwards and away from the youkai as though his callous remark had physically injured her.

"I am many things, miko, but I am not a liar." Sesshomaru pushed away from the wall but remained facing in the opposite direction of the woman. He adamantly refused to look at her. He wished for nothing more than for her to leave him in peace, but he did not desire to watch his words pierce her.

"Then look at me. Tell me that you don't want me. Tell me that you have no desire to touch my body, to taste me, to make me scream your name. Look me in the eyes and tell me that this morning was a mistake." Kagome was tired of this game. She desired him, and knew that he wanted her as well. So, knowing that the tayoukai would be loathe to lose face by shirking a challenge, she did the only thing she could think of: she threw down the proverbial gauntlet.

"You dare to challenge me woman?" Sesshomaru ground out as his eyes snapped open and his back went rigid.

"Indeed" she responded haughtily, obviously mocking him. "Unless you're scared..." Kagome couldn't even finish her statement before she was cut off by a low snarl.

Sesshomaru deftly pivoted to face the miko. Eyes bleeding crimson, he launched himself forward with the well-honed skill of a warrior in battle and, slamming his hands into the wall behind the miko so hard that the force shattered the tiles, he growled out, "This Sesshomaru will NEVER fear a weak little mortal woman like yourself miko!"

Kagome had seen something like this coming, and so expecting his powerful response, she barely flinched as the tiles beside her head cracked. Glancing out of the corner of her eyes at the large hands and strong arms that were effectually pinning her in place she told Sesshomaru flatly, "Then say it." She stood up to her full height and looked up into the narrowed eyes of the taiyoukai. "Say it." She repeated.

She dared to attempt to make herself seem imposing? As he focused on her deep blue eyes, Sesshomaru saw the warrior in the woman. He had thought that the fighter in her had died sometime long before, but he saw that the mighty priestess that she had been was now resurrected. Bringing his face down to hers, so close that they almost touched noses, he growled low in the back of his throat. She was a fighter, she wanted him to submit, and though he could respect the former, he would not acquiesce to the latter. "This Sesshomaru will never desire you" he told her while narrowing his eyes to the tiniest of slits.

Kagome looked at him, watched as he battled with himself and saw exactly what she had thought she had; though narrowed to the extreme, his honeyed eyes belayed a burning passion.

"Liar" she accused him again.

And then she slammed her lips into his own, knowing full well that it could be the last thing she ever did.

Author: Damnit plot! Why can't you just cooperate! This writer wishes for lemons! shakes fist in fashion reminiscent of angry old person

Plot: lifts up head in a lofty fashion You shall not lead me down the path of wickedness and debauchery woman!

Author: Just you wait! I'm gonna make the next lemon so hot you'll spontaneously combust!

Plot: runs in terror while squealing something about about perverts...


	13. Let's Call It A Tie

Sesshomaru was startled by the sudden pressing of soft lips against his own, and immediately closed his eyes, savoring the sensation. He felt her lips part and he instinctually slipped his tongue inside her heated little mouth, skimming across her dull little teeth before touching her own smooth, slick muscle. She tasted like something sweet, and he wanted more.

Yes, he wanted this, needed this, and more. But as right as it felt, there was no denying that it was wrong. She was not his; they both understood that her heart would forever belong to another. But she had outsmarted him, and it excited him. There had never been another female who could challenge him the way she had just done and win; few had even dared to try. But somehow, this little slip of a mortal girl had defeated him. She was strong and a formidable opponent. The hanyou was obviously mentally damaged for sending such a treasure away.

The demeaning thought aimed at Inuyasha woke him from his lusty haze. Here he was, about to rut with the hanyou's miko AGAIN, and he had the gall to think badly of the boy. What had he, Sesshomaru, become?

With a growl, his eyes snapped open and he harshly pulled away from the wench.

"This Sesshomaru has told you that he has no interest in you as a mate woman, yet you persist on trying to tempt me. I demand that you cease this foolishness immediately." He was using every bit of his power to keep himself from assaulting her sweet little mouth again.

"You know what's really foolish Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked him between heaving breaths. "You and I both know that you desire me, and yet you deny not only me, but yourself as well. When did you become so senseless?"

"You are not mine to take!" he said loudly. "You belong to..."

"I BELONG to NO ONE!" she yelled. And then she was silent.

Sesshomaru studied her for a moment, watching her flushed face as her chest rapidly rose and fell with her angry and ragged breaths. She was such an oddity. No creature, demon or human had ever yelled at him and survived, yet he was suddenly void of anger for her. He understood her position, and knew that she could not possibly understand his. It was unfortunate.

"Do you honestly deny it then? Are you being truthful when you say that you have no desire for me whatsoever?"

It was spoken so softly that even he had barely heard her over the pounding water. He looked to her face, but could not meet her eyes as she had tilted her head down to stare at the floor. Removing one hand from it's position on the wall beside her head and reaching down, he gently placed one claw tipped finger below her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. Her blue eyes were once again lost and the fire that he had seen blazing brightly from within them only moments before was once again extinguished.

"I do not deny it" he told her tenderly.

"What?" She looked so confused that he took pity on her.

"This Sesshomaru does not deny that he desires you."

She never broke their eye contact, never once looked away. And neither did he. Even as he felt one small hand come up to rest atop his own and move it downwards from her chin to skim the heated flesh of her chest. His hand was forced further down until he felt it come to rest over one of her rounded breasts. And still neither of them looked away. Her warm palm continued to rest over his large hand even as he subconsciously cupped her breast. Her other hand slipped up behind his neck and pulled his face in closer to her own.

He heard a faint high pitched whine, and for a moment wondered as to it's source. Then he felt the tightening in his chest and realized that the sound came from him. Sesshomaru barely had the time to register his horror before the miko kissed him again. And as if his own admission had broken some sort of spell, he gave into her advances.

Her lips parted and her tongue slipped into his mouth, exploring his sharp fangs before momentarily connecting with his own slick appendage. Before he could respond in kind to her heated kiss she withdrew and moved her mouth lower. Her blunt little teeth gently latched onto his lower lips and sucked on it before giving it a swift tug.

Her kiss was so dominating and passionate that Sesshomaru was caught up in the ecstasy it created. The hand that wasn't currently teasing her breast abandoned it's place on the wall in favor of wrapping around her slim waist. He pulled her tightly to his chest as both arms reached down to give her firm little backside an appreciative squeeze before forcing her to move backwards. When he had her back pinned firmly against the shower wall, he pulled his mouth away from hers to allow himself to kiss his way across her cheek and jaw line before settling his face alongside her ear.

Kagome could feel the heated puffs of air from his panting breaths caressing her ear, and she mewled in response. She placed her hands upon his slick chest, admiring the hard, lean muscles below her palms. Sesshomaru released a low growl at her touch and she felt a warm, rough tongue caress the shell of her ear. When his lips sucked and nipped gently at her earlobe, Kagome felt a white hot heat burst forth within her belly. She felt his mouth move lower, trailing down her neck, felt the slow dragging of his sharp fangs over her tender flesh, the gentle slide of his lips, the quick touch of his tongue as it darted out to taste her. Against her wet, soft skin his panting breaths were scorching and ragged and she vaguely realized that her own breathing was labored.

She moved her hands lower, dragging them slowly across muscles that jumped and quivered under her touch. One of her fingers momentarily caught in his navel and she heard his breath catch. His hips thrust forward under her hands, and a hard length settled against her belly.

Sesshomaru ran one hand up along the curve of her body, skimming along the outer curve of her breast. He dipped his head down, feeling the warm water as it pounded against his scalp and trailed down his back, and languidly licked along the underside of her breast. He swept his tongue up to slowly lick over one hard nipple, a torturously rough and drawn out lick, and he felt her body spasm against his own as she moaned. His lips latched onto the tip of her breast and he let her nipple brush against his teeth before nipping lightly at it. He released it only to move to the other breast and pay it the same attentions.

Kagome tipped her head back against the tiled wall and moaned. She felt so empty and needed to be filled by him so badly that it was becoming hard to breathe. When he nipped at her breast, she whimpered at the slight pain. He immediately softened his teasing of her and she felt his large hands slide up and over her slick skin, coming to rest on her waist. And then his mouth was gone. She groaned at the loss of his lips, and she felt his thumbs move in slow and tantalizing circles over her lower abdomen before a kiss was pressed to her belly. She looked down to see Sesshomaru on his knees before her, water pounding into his hair, as he kissed his way slowly down her stomach. His hands slid down her side and between her thighs and pushed gently, urging her to allow him entrance. Kagome leaned her head back and closed her eyes as she spread her legs.

Sesshomaru paused only briefly in his path to her core, detouring to drag his sharp fangs over her left hip bone. He let his tongue follow the crease where he stomach and leg joined before finally reaching her sodden core. The spicy smell of her arousal was overpowering, and he growled lightly before dragging his tongue through her folds. He heard her mewl above him as her hips shot forward, and he let his hands settle on her waist again and held her tightly. When he was convinced that she would not topple over from pleasure, he allowed one hand to slip down and spread her folds, rewarding himself with a sight of her glistening channel. His tongue darted out from between his lips to lap at the little pearl above her entrance. She tasted exquisite and unlike any other female before her. Her essence was sweet and addicting and Sesshomaru determined that he would not let a single drop of her honey go to waste. He replaced his rough tongue with a single finger and, careful of his claws, continued to rub the little bundle of nerves as he drove his tongue deep inside her. He felt her shudder and he moved his other hand down to grasp her thigh and lift it over his shoulder, opening her fully to him.

Sesshomaru moved his mouth away from her and quickly slid one finger deeply into her. She unleashed a throaty moan and he was pleased that, contrary to her prior statement, she did not appear to be a screamer. He disliked loud women as their screams made his sensitive ears hurt. But her soft and needy mewls were something that he could become addicted to. He looked up into her face to watch her as her full lips parted to allow her panting breaths. A steady rumbling burst forth from his chest and his already stiff member hardened painfully at the sight. He pushed a second, and then a third finger into her, stretching and preparing her for himself.

Kagome nearly passed out when he thrust his fingers into her, and she ground her hips into his hand. It was becoming too much to endure, but no matter how forcefully she bucked into his hands, he refused to let up. And then his mouth was upon her pearl again and she threw her head back in pleasure.

Sesshomaru watched the woman's face flush, her chest heaving with her ragged breaths, and he began to feel painfully hard. Reaching one hand down, he grasped himself, and began to languidly stroke his cock. Never had he been with anyone as receptive as she; every touch, every lick, seemed to bring her to new heights and he was quickly becoming a junkie.

Kagome opened her eyes and looked down only to be met by the most erotic sight she had ever witnessed. There was Sesshomaru kneeling before her, warm water cascading over his lean body, staring at her while he pleasured both her and himself. She watched as his fist slid over his velvety shaft and then the head of his erection over and over again. She met his honeyed eyes, so bright and intense that they almost burned, and her labored breath caught in her throat. And still he watched her face as his mouth continued to pull her hips forward. Her hands tangled into his hair and pulled gently and she groaned and struggled to keep her eyes open.

It was all he could take. He stood slowly, licking his lips, hand still slowly fisting himself, and he moved towards her. She still had her hands tangled in his hair, and he was surprised when she pulled his face to hers and kissed him hungrily. Most women that he had been with would never kiss him after he had pleasured them in such a fashion. Although they enjoyed the act itself, they claimed that to taste themselves on his mouth was somehow vulgar. But this miko only parted her lips to his probing tongue and released another of her tantalizing mewls into his hungry mouth. He pushed his body flush against her and when his aching member rubbed against her scorching core he snarled.

He roughly grabbed one of her thighs and lifted, bringing it up to wrap around his waist. Releasing her leg so that he could get a firm hold on her hips, he pushed her entire body upwards and against the wall of the shower. Both hands now full of sweet miko, he told her sharply "Let me in."

Kagome understood that in this position he needed her help and so she reached one small hand down and grasped his erection, guiding him inside of her.

He felt her heat and as his head rubbed against her slick folds, he lost all restraint and with one long thrust, buried himself within her. He hissed through clenched teeth and went completely still. His head fell to her shoulder, and he rested his forehead against her wet skin as he marveled at how tight and hot she was. HE bit his lip and he heard the miko moan.

Kagome whimpered when he stopped, and she could hear him panting into her shoulder. She rotated her hips a little to encourage him, but ceased when she felt sharp fangs settle against her throat. So she waited, breathing hard, before whimpering "Please."

And then Sesshomaru moved. He pressed his body harder into her, keeping her tight against the wall, as he slowly slid out and pushed back in again. Again and again he pulled out and trust forward slowly.

"More..." Kagome panted. "Faster."

"Yes." Sesshomaru whispered into her ear.

His pace increased, his hips rolling deliciously, their bodies becoming one. Sesshomaru heard her call his name out softly between pants and his entire body jerked, interrupting his rhythm as he grunted. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, leaving his neck exposed to her. He felt soft lips attach to the sensitive skin at the base of his throat before coming to rest on the pulse point that lay at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Her inner muscles fluttered and he knew she was close.

"Come for me miko" he ground out between quickening thrusts and she mewled into his neck.

He felt her inner walls grip him tightly moments before she bit down and he gasped at the sensation of her biting in the place where a mate would mark him. She cried out his name in her release and with one final pounding thrust he too came with a snarl. He continued to push into her lightly as he coated her womb with his seed and her walls kept clenching tightly around him, milking him of every pent up frustration he had hidden away.

He felt her teeth release his flesh as she leaned her head against the wall, eyes closed and panting harshly. He withdrew himself from her and set her down on shaky legs. He nuzzled his nose into her neck, inhaling her pleasing scent, and breathing raggedly. Both slippery and soaking, they let the hot water rush down upon them, each lost in their own satisfaction.

Here lies the plot for "Much Needed Healing." Plot led a good, wholesome life, until it's life was tragically cut short by a hentai authoress who it had mistakenly toyed with too many times. Sadly, plot spontaneously combusted due to the incredibly long lemon in this chapter. Plot will surely be sorely missed by many.

Author smiles wickedly

Sooo... apparently it is impossible for me to write a short lemon. But I guess you guys won't be complaining much.

You dirty birds.

omizumaru


	14. Discoveries Part 2

Someone was approaching.

Sesshomaru watched as the little miko lathered herself with his soap and began to wash herself. His reaction was immediate and powerful. Although he had finished rutting with her only moments before, he felt his cock stiffen. What was it about this woman that caused him to abandon his good senses and reason so completely? He was Taisho Sesshomaru, a powerful creature in any age, and this mere mortal could, seemingly effortlessly, bring him to his knees. It was unfathomable.

"Perhaps not entirely unfathomable" he resolved to himself as he watched her tip her head back into the water, her back arching and her breasts thrusting forward as she closed her eyes and sighed.

It was the soft sigh that did it; broke the mighty taiyoukai's resolve once again. With a light growl, he moved towards her, wrapping her in his strong embrace. Lowering his lips to her delicate ear he whispered fiercely, "What have you done to me woman?" He heard her moan softly as he began to drag his fangs lightly over her collar bone.

And then someone knocked on his door.

He straightened, and pulled away from her, noting the soft sound of objection from the miko. He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his hips. He snarled as the person at his door knocked once again, louder this time than before. This woman was obviously bad for him. He had registered the fact that someone was approaching his home, and yet that fact had slipped from his mind as soon as he had caught sight of her glistening little frame.

As he walked through the bedroom and out into the main room of the house, his thoughts continued to plague him. He would not allow this woman to continue her domination of him. It was bad enough that he was plagued by a constant onslaught of thoughts of her, that he could not refrain from taking what was so obviously not his to have, but to let her affect him to the point of losing his keen senses? That was too much. And why in the HELL was this person still banging on his door?

Snarling, Sesshomaru flung the door open and bit out "This had better be EXTREMELY important!" Although it was difficult to seem imposing while he was clothed in only a towel, Sesshomaru thought he had pulled it off admirably.

Kouga could only stare. What was it with these mutts? They acted all normal for 500 years, and then they just go all crazy! First Inuyasha, with his seeming remorse, and now Sesshomaru? Mouth gaping at the dripping wet demon lord before him, Kouga was at a loss for words. The only real thought that his brain could muster was "Don't look down! Don't look down! For the love of all things holy, DON'T LOOK DOWN!"

"Speak now or you will never speak again wolf" a flat baritone threatened plainly.

"Uhh... I came to see you at the office, to discuss with you the party for the representative's return, but I was informed that you had already left for the day." Ok, so it wasn't eloquent, but it was coherent, and Kouga was justifiably proud of that fact.

"So you felt the pressing need to come to my home and discuss it here? Did it ever occur to you, Kouga, that perhaps your timing may have been inopportune?"

"Not really." It was out of his mouth and into the open before he could think better of it. Kouga winced slightly at the sight of Sesshomaru narrowing his eyes. But then the taiyoukai heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes, and Kouga realized that he wasn't going to die on this day.

"Despite popular oppinion, this Sesshomaru does have a life outside of work, wolf."

"Yeah, I know you're a real ladies man Sesshomaru!" Kouga gave a chuckle. Everyone knew that Sesshomaru lived for the company and success. The guy never had a woman on his arm. He glanced up when he realized that his boss wasn't partaking in the joke.

"Hey man, I didn't mean anything personal by that! It was just a joke!" But Kouga could see that Sesshomaru wasn't angry either. And then he understood. "Kami! You've got a woman in there don't you? You do you old dog!" Kouga stood up on tiptoe to crane his neck around the shoulder of the taiyoukai and peer into the home. "Well where is she? I want to meet the lucky girl!"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to respond the wolf's quip about him being an "old dog" when he heard a sharp exhale of breath. It sounded almost as though the ookami had been punched in the stomach. Glancing down, Sesshomaru visually assured himself that he had done no such thing; his arm remained at his side. Which meant that...

"Kagome?" A very shocked wolf managed to shout.

"Kouga?" Came the shrill response from behind him.

"Crap." Muttered the taiyoukai, reminding himself of a certain hanyou.

Hehehe! I bet you all thought that you were going to get another lemon! Not so fast you little hentai's! Although I would love nothing more than to just write about Sesshomaru's naughty romps, I must inform you that plot has returned and we now have things to do.

But there will be more sex. Cause sex is fun. Especially when it involves a sweaty taiyoukai...

Yum.

omizumaru


	15. Homeward Bound

There, wrapped in a fluffy white towel, was his woman. Over five centuries had passed, and seeing her there, hair damp and curling, wide blue eyes staring at him in shock, Kouga realized just how much he had missed her. Giving the taiyoukai blocking his path to her a quick shove, he pushed his way into the home and lifted the little woman into his arms.

"Kagome! I've missed you!" He told her while nuzzling his nose into her hair. He noted that she still smelled like cherry blossoms.

"Kouga! Is it really you?" Kagome managed to squeak out between giggles.

"It's really me." He told her while pulling away slightly to look into her deep blue eyes. Kagome gave a happy little squeal as he spun her around in a circle. Setting her down lightly, Kouga stared at her. She was older, but only by a few years. The woman-child he had known was now gone, in her place a striking beauty. It seemed as though time rolled backwards for a moment and he was once again in the feudal era. She was here, safe. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Of course, he had initially though that Inuyasha was full of it when he started telling him about how Kagome was really from the future. But as the tale had begun to unravel, Kouga had been forced to admit that it made sense. The strange way she had dressed, the lack of prejudice against his kind, the odd phrases she sometimes used and her periods of absence all lead him to the conclusion that the mutt was being honest. Still, he had hardly expected to find her here, at Sesshomaru's home. Dressed in only a towel... just like the taiyoukai...

"So, how's my woman been?" Kouga asked her, slightly suspicious now. Why were they both soaking and undressed?

"Things are good now. I had a little... rough patch, but I'm feeling a lot better."

Kouga could sense her shame. But what was she ashamed about? Looking into her downcast eyes, he decided that now wasn't the time to ask. Instead, he pulled her into his arms again and stared at her intently. "So you're alright then?" He asked her while petting her hair. "Because if anyone ever hurt you, you know I'd take care of them!"

"I know Kouga, but really, I'm fine." And then she fiercely hugged him back, settling her head into the crook of his shoulder.

Kouga was in heaven until he heard a throat clear. Raising his head, he looked back at Sesshomaru.

"Perhaps you should put on something a little more proper woman?" The smooth baritone was tightly controlled, but the anger simmering just below the surface was well apparent.

Kagome looked down and saw that she had forgotten she was only wearing a towel. Giving a little squeal, accompanied by a slight blush, she horridly left the room, muttering something about being right back.

Kouga stared at Sesshomaru as the taiyoukai stalked across the room. "Have you told Inuyasha?" He asked the rapidly retreating demon lord.

In a flash, Sesshomaru was back across the room, his hand grasping the throat of the wolf as he slammed him against a wall. "You will say NOTHING of any of this to Inuyasha." He hissed, giving Kouga's throat a little squeeze for emphasis.

Eyes beginning to bug out of his head from lack of air, Kouga nodded and found himself dropped onto the floor. Gasping, he looked up into the face of a very pissed off youkai. "What are you doing Sesshomaru?" He managed to ask between hitching breaths.

Golden eyes merely narrowed before the tayoukai tuned and walked away.

Kouga could barely hear the response over his pounding heart.

"Truly wolf, this Sesshomaru no longer knows."

He was going home and she would be there. It was all that Inuyasha could think about as he stared at the clouds 30,000 feet up in the air. He had wanted to find her, seek her out years ago, but he had been ashamed. When he had pushed her back into her own time, he had thought that he was doing what was best for both of them. He couldn't live if something happened to her. Is she had died in the fight against Naraku, he would have been unable to continue living. She was so innocent and pure; her place was not in the feudal era, but back in her own time. And so he had done it.

He had tried to go back after the battle, only to find that the well was now closed to him. There was no way for him to get to her, and he had spent many years in the Goshinboku, staring at the well and wishing he had done things differently. He had become malnourished and filthy from never leaving the tree, and no one had been able to persuade him to come down and take care of himself.

Until the day that Sesshomaru had shown up. Inuyasha had barely spared his brother a glance. He thought that he knew what the taiyoukai was going to tell him, and he'd heard it all before. "There will be others." "Time heals all wounds." "She wouldn't want you to abandon your life like this." So many statements, crafted to persuade him to live, and all of them shit. There would never be another Kagome.

"Come down Inuyasha." He heard a cold baritone voice below him say.

"Fuck you Sesshomaru." There was no anger in his voice. Inuyasha had stopped caring about anything besides his sadness long ago. He heard the soft exhale of breath and the rustle of clothing and, looking down, was shocked to see that Sesshomaru had settled himself down below the Goshinboku.

"Why is it half-breed, that you spend your days wasting away in this tree?"

"You wouldn't understand." Inuyasha told the taiyoukai petulantly.

"So you mourn for her, your little miko?"

Inuyasha was silent. Why tell the bastard anything? It wasn't as though he really gave a damn.

"This Sesshomaru has not heard tell of her death."

"Probably because she didn't die."

"Then why do you mourn her?"

"Because she's gone. I sent her away. And why the fuck do you care?"

Sesshomaru choose to ignore the last part. "If her absence affects you so strongly hanyou, why do you not retrieve her?"

"I can't go to where she is. I can't follow her anymore."

"This Sesshomaru was under the impression that she followed you."

Inuyasha looked down at his brother. Didn't he understand? "We followed each other." He told him plainly.

"Hn." Again the rustle of clothing as the taiyoukai stood gracefully. Looking up at the boy he had once despised with every bit of his being, Sesshomaru felt pity. As he walked away, he stopped in his steps to look back at the half starved hanyou. "If that is truly the case, then you will find each other again." And then he was gone.

It was in that moment that Inuyasha found something to live for. Sesshomaru, damn him, was right. He only had to wait to find her again. After all, he knew where she was, when she was, and if he could pull himself together, he could meet her there.

Inuyasha had jumped lightly down from the branches of the Goshinboku and took off in the direction of Sesshomaru.

The hanyou sighed and looked out the window again. Yes, he had been ashamed, but he had also been frightened, and he could feel the cold iron fist of fear tighten around his heart the closer his plane got to Tokyo. What if she hated him for what he had done? What if she had forgotten about him? Worst of all, what if she hadn't waited? What if she had found another?

"Dammit." he muttered as he felt a tear slide down his cheek and, swiping at it with one clawed hand, thanked the fates that he was sitting in the mostly empty first class section of the plane.

There was nothing for it. He was going home, she would be there, and he would find her. If he had to scour all of Japan, he would locate her. He would take whatever she had to give, and he would do so honorably. Even if she had nothing but hate for him.

Staring out the small window, Inuyasha clung to hope.

So, no cranky reviews about length! Grrrr! LOL. Ok, so I know the last one was short, but let's try to remember that I DO write some long chapters as well (think very long and dirty lemon!) In any case, I tried to make this one a little longer so I didn't have to read any more rants about the subject, and I will continue to do my best to write longer chapters.

But I do want to leave you with a little thought on that note:

Its not the size of the ship, but the motion of the ocean!

So there! ;P

omizumaru


	16. Assumptions

The door to the bedroom slammed open and shut as Sesshomaru stalked in after the miko. He had no right to be upset at her behavior towards the wolf, but nonetheless he was angry. He was fully set on informing her that she should discontinue throwing herself at the mongrel when he was struck by the salty scent of tears.

Raising his angry golden eyes to look at her, he saw that she was sitting on the very edge of his bed, still wrapped in nothing but the fluffy white towel, looking lost. Her eyes were vacant as a single solitary tear rolled down her soft cheek.

"I don't have any clothes" she muttered sadly. "I was going to change, but I don't have any clothes." Another fat tear slipped from her eye and left a glistening path down her face.

Sesshomaru was at a loss until he noticed that her little delicate hands were shaking. He was suddenly consumed with pity for the little miko, a feeling that he was not used to having for anyone. He realized that it had been days since her last drink, and of course she had been a raging alcoholic; he had known that the moment he had first laid eyes on her again in that smoky bar. He understood that she was beginning to withdrawl and that the smallest things seemed like great issues to her.

"It is of no consequence miko. You may continue wearing my things."

Kagome lifted her head to look into the face of the taiyoukai that had gone from mortal enemy to lover in such a short time. Focusing on his golden gaze, something within her broke. Huge tears began to leak from her sad blue eyes and her breath started to come in hitching sobs. Her eyes closed as her entire body shook from the tears. When strong arms wrapped around her small frame, she immediately threw her own lithe ones around Sesshomaru's neck and pushed her face into his bare chest.

He knelt there, holding this woman that despite every plan he had laid had broken through all his well established barriers. In a few short days she had worked her way into his heart, a place that none had lived since Rin. As she clung desperately to him and he felt the heated little droplets of her tears course down his chest, he began to fear the moment that he would have to let the little miko go. He had felt unbearably alone when he had forced Rin to leave his side, and he had never wanted to go through anything like that again. So, he had reestablished and reinforced his icy demeanor, keeping all others away. Until Inuyasha's wench had come to stir up memories of a beloved past. The time was approaching where he would be forced to send her back to her rightful mate, and a part of him grew cold once more at the thought.

Sesshomaru gently tried to pull away from her. It was no use holding her tenderly, thinking of things that could be, when in reality, there was no chance for them. As soon as she and the half-breed found each other once more, he knew that he would not stand a chance. He recalled the day that he had finally come to find the boy, perched in one of the highest branches of the God tree in his forest, dirty and starving, mourning the loss of the little woman that he, Sesshomaru, now held in his arms. Their love had transcended time, and he was nothing but comedic filler for the Gods.

Kagome felt him begin to pull away from her, and instead of letting him loose, she allowed him only to move far enough away from her so that she could look into his face. She was surprised at the sadness that she found there, and without a thought, she pressed her petal lips to his.

This situation was no longer enjoyable or humorous to Sesshomaru, and despite the pleasure he felt at kissing her, he brought his large hands up to press against her shoulders and push her back.

"Stop miko" he told her plainly. "You do not really wish to do this."

Kagome's dark blue eyes suddenly filled with anger she spat, "And who are you to tell me what it is I want Sesshomaru? You who hardly know me, who tried to kill me on so many different occasions, who never listens to a thing I say? Why do you feel that you of all people have the right to tell me what I desire? You have no idea who I am, or what I want, so don't ever assume that you understand me!" She raised her tiny hands and pressed them against his bare shoulders. With one forceful push that was laced with the bright pink flash of spiritual energy, she shoved him away from her.

Sesshomaru had not expected the blow, or the amount of power that had been intertwined with it. He felt his shoulders burn as he was forced backwards onto the floor. He watched the angry miko stand, waves of energy pouring off her entire body and was so mesmerized by the sight that he momentarily forgot about the pain she had caused him. Her wavy onyx locks flew about her as though a strong breeze had caught them, despite the fact that no such wind was present. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down in to his face and told him in a hiss, "I am tired of many things Sesshomaru, but your presumptuous nature regarding my personal life and decisions is right up there at the top of the list. You may think that you know everything, but you do NOT. Perhaps it is time that you begin to understand that."

The taiyoukai was shocked. No creature had ever spoken to him in such a manner, but this tiny little woman had scolded him as though he were a child. Standing fluidly, his eyes narrowed to tiny slits, he gabbed her delicate wrist and pulled her close to him. Glaring hotly into her eyes he venomously told her, "Pitiful onna. You believe that this Sesshomaru does not understand you? That he does not know your desires?" Kagome tried to tug her arm free of his grasp, but his hold on her only tightened until she gave a small squeal of pain. "You will listen to me now wench" Sesshomaru said, giving her a firm yank to focus her attentions on him.

"I understand that you have for many years now, been an alcoholic and a failure, all for the love of a half-breed whelp. You have lost your way, and you have desired nothing more than to be reunited with him. Failing that, you have attached yourself to this Sesshomaru as a second best. As for your desires? You wish for nothing more that to be with that disgusting hanyou, who callously sent you away so many years ago. You think I do not know or understand you? You, miko, cannot possibly think that you would be such an enigma. Every day of your life that you have wasted, you have wasted for only one cause, Inuyasha. This Sesshomaru is also tired; tired of being your copy for a long lost love, a substitute for a creature below my status. I am tired of being your substitute for your addictions, and the whipping boy for your emotional outbursts. I know much about you little onna, and do not think otherwise. It is you who has no understanding of ME, and no desire to even begin to undertake the task of finding out." His blood boiling with rage, Sesshomaru pulled her closer still, their faces only centimeters apart. Bending low while looking into her eyes, their lashes only a whisper apart he hissed, "You speak of presumption, but it is you that is presumptuous to assume that I know nothing of, the miko from the past that has thrust her life into my own time and time again. From the moment that you stepped into my life, pulling my father's fang from his grave, I have watched you,; as you traveled with the whelp, I studied you. And I discovered that although you do possess certain powers, you are still nothing more than a simple mortal girl, and that is a destiny that you will never escape from. You will grow old and die, your life wasted on a foul-mouthed boy who tricked you into vacating his life and who abandoned you after you had stayed by his side for so many years."

Kagome was cut by the tiayoukai's cold words. Her eyes brimming wiht tears, she looked into those empty eyes and told him, "You have just told me everything I already knew. But what you'll never understand is that he loved me. He sent me away because he cared for me, worried for me, and loved me. You would never be capable of understanding anything like that Sesshomaru, as you have never loved another. You may pity the way I waste my life on dreams of Inuyasha, but I pity you more for the fact that no one will ever do something like that for you. No one will ever love a heartless creature like yourself, and without love, you may well have never have existed."

Sesshomaru went cold at her words. They rung true in his heart, and for the first time in his very long life he felt fear. She was correct, no one did love him. Perhaps some part of him had hoped that she would be the one to show him that he could be loved, that he could love in return, but tonight he had crossed a line with his poisonous words, and he knew it. His hand went limp and released it's hold upon her, and she immediately tore herself away from him and fell to the bed crying. Whether her tears were for herself, Inuyasha, or even for Sesshomaru, she didn't know, but Kagome could only cry, and Sesshomaru could only watch.

Reviews, as always, are much needed fuel. With so many fires cooking, the flames can always use a little stoking.

omizumaru


	17. Agreement

He watched as her entire body was wracked with the force of her sobs. She was curled into the fetal position, knees pressed tightly to her chest, and palms pressed to her face to shield her tears from view. Reaching one hand forward, Sesshomaru gently clasped her shaking shoulder, and was slightly horrified when she pulled herself away from his touch as though she had been burned.

"Don't touch me" he heard her spit.

"I am sorry miko. I did not mean to so upset you." She ignored his apology and continued to cry there on his silk sheets.

"I don't want to hear it Sesshomaru. You just don't get it. You'll never understand, so it's not worth my time to try and explain it to you."

"I know, I don't understand. I just... I don't want to be a substitute for him. Surely you of all people, the reincarnation of the famous Kikyou, understands that."

Kagome stopped crying slowly as she let his words sink in. He was right. She knew exactly how he felt. She remembered the fear that Inuyasha had only cared about her because of her resemblance to Kikyou, and she felt compassion for the great taiyoukai. She turned her face to look at him.

Looking into her wet blue eyes, Sesshomaru saw that she was listening. With a sigh he continued, "It has been so long since I have let anyone into my life, and I do not want to make a mistake. If you only wish to spend time with me because I remind you of him, then I can no longer allow you to stay."

Kagome was struck silent. Was this his way of telling her that she had feelings for her? That perhaps he cared for her? Sure, they had fucked, but that didn't mean that he would automatically care for her. She had slept with many men, most of whose names she could not remember. "Sesshomaru. Are you saying that you..."

He cut her off swiftly with a wave of his hand. "I am saying nothing more than that I am not and never will be Inuyasha." He felt the gentle touch of a small hand on his shoulder, and cringed slightly at the pain it caused.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you" Kagome whispered.

"It is nothing."

Kagome had seen the way his eyes had narrowed at her touch on the place where she had burned his pristine alabaster skin. She closed her eyes and began to focus.

Sesshomaru watched the little woman close her eyes and briefly wondered what she was doing when he suddenly felt a warm heat flow over the burns on his shoulders. Looking down, he was startled to see a soft blue light emanating from the tips of her slender fingers. His wounds began to heal before his very eyes, and he watched as new skin slowly formed over the burned areas. When the light began to subside, he looked back up into the shyly smiling face of the miko.

"That is a useful ability. You seem much more powerful than the last time that I laid eyes on you."

"Well, before I left, another miko was training me rather rigorously. I wasn't sure I could still do it actually." She ran a fingertip slowly over his shoulder as though inspecting her own work. "I'm glad that I could though. I don't think that it will leave a scar."

Sesshomaru captured her small hand within his own and pulled it from his shoulder. Looking into her deep azure eyes, he brought her hand slowly up to his mouth and began to individually kiss each small and soft fingertip. He didn't understand quite how they had gone from screaming to this in so short a time, but for the moment it seemed that they had come to some sort of an understanding. He only had a few short hours left until he would have to hand her over to her rightful mate, and he was determined to enjoy each moment. Although he tried to keep his hopes from soaring, he could not deny that deep within himself he dreamed that she would choose him over his brother. Inuyasha would be devastated, but the whelp had gotten too many things too easily in his life. He was no longer a little boy who was alone and needed nurtured, he was a man. And this creature before him was most assuredly a woman, and a treasure. She was powerful and wore her heart on her sleeve, and for the moment, no one else existed in the world but the two of them. There was no love-lorn hanyou, no skirt chasing wolf, no responsibilities or obligations. There were only miko and taiyoukai, alone and unfettered.

After tenderly kissing each little precious finger, Sesshomaru gently pulled Kagome closer to him. His lips barely brushing hers, she said, "I thought that 'I' didn't want to do this. I thought that 'I' was hung up on Inuyasha."

"Fuck Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru growled as he pulled the woman into a soul searing kiss.

Kouga had been drawn by the sounds of his woman screaming, and had immediately leapt to his feet and rushed to the bedroom door. Finding that the pair had settled down and that there was no only quiet conversation, he looked into the room through the smallest of cracks between the door and the frame.

There was Sesshomaru, kneeling before Kagome who was sitting on the bed in front of him. Kouga's sensitive ears picked up the taiyoukai's words as he said, "I am saying nothing more than that I am not and never will be Inuyasha."

He watched as Kagome raised her small hands and placed them on Sesshomaru's shoulders, which appeared to have gotten injured in their verbal sparring. He was pleased with his woman's bravery, and then astounded as a bright blue light engulfed the taiyoukai. Obviously, the little miko had become more powerful and she was now healing the damage that she has previously inflicted. The glow subsided, and she ran her fingertips gently over the area, inspecting the work that she had accomplished.

Kouga fought down a growl and was poised to burst into the room when Sesshomaru's large hand shot out and grasped the miko's. The wolf assumed that the taiyoukai was going to do something foolish to the woman to punish her for injuring his person, so he was shocked to see Sesshomaru instead pull those little fingers to his mouth and begin to kiss them tenderly.

Blinking his eyes in shock, Kouga watched as the taiyoukai brough the woman's face to whisper's distance from his own. He released a breath that he didn't know he was holding when Kagome stopped Sesshomaru. She spoke so softly that even Kouga could not hear her words, but he could certainly hear Sesshomaru's response.

"Fuck Inuyasha!" The taiyoukai all but bellowed before grabbing the back of Kagome's head and pulling her in for a scorching kiss.

Kouga continued to watch in astonishment as his woman latched her lithe arms around Sesshomaru's neck and pulled him tightly against her body.

Uhh ohh. Looks like another lemon is coming out way! Will Kouga stick around to watch? Or will he give them some privacy? Or will something else all together happen? Who knows?

Certainly not I!

omizumaru


	18. Smile

He couldn't move. He wanted to move, to say something, to breathe, but he couldn't. His blue eyes wouldn't even blink. Never before had he felt like this; shock, horror, disgust, arousal, fear, all rolled into one big knot in the pit of his stomach. Oh Kami, please, if only he could move!

Kouga didn't want to watch as Kagome's little hands fisted into Sesshomaru's long silky hair. He didn't want to see the way the taiyoukai pulled away from their passionate kiss to slowly push the miko down onto her back on the silk sheets. He wanted to turn away as he watched his boss slowly kiss his way up her legs… to her muscled thighs. His keen eyes caught the slight twitch of her right foot and his ears heard her voice a throaty moan as Sesshomaru seemed to slither up her body.

And with one deft flick of his claws, her towel was gone and she was exposed for Kouga to see her as he had only ever dreamt of her. For a moment Sesshomaru shifted his weight from one foot to the other and Kouga's view of his woman was completely unfettered. He sucked in a sharp breath at the vision that she presented to him.

Prone on the black silk sheets her creamy skin was white as a dove's plumage, and surely softer. Her stomach was flat and toned, and her breasts were heaving with her panting breaths. Smooth caramel nipples were already peaked from arousal, and Kouga could almost imagine licking them. As he studied her face, her lids lowered and eyes dilated with lust as she looked at Sesshomaru, shiny ebony locks strewn behind her head and reflecting the light, Kouga imagined that it was himself who had made her so aroused.

He was trying his utmost to ignore the area that called for his attention the most, but when her small hand slid down her tummy and she spread her legs to nestle it upon the apex of her glistening sex, The ookami could no longer dismiss it. The smell of her wanton lust permeated his nostrils, and he suddenly felt rather light-headed. As she let loosed a sultry purring sound and the had caressing her slick folds began slight movements, Kouga had to force himself not to groan. It was suddenly extremely hot, and he was painfully hard. His beast was roaring for him to move, Sesshomaru's presence all but forgotten in his lust crazed mind. All the muscles in his body bunched together as he prepared to force himself to move, to go to his woman, so eager and ready, until the taiyoukai's lithe and well-muscled body blocked Kagome's body from his line of sight.

The beast wanted to growl, until Kouga saw the most singularly frightening thing he had ever witnessed. Inclining his head by the slightest of degree, Sesshomaru made eye contact, and then smiled. Not a small grin, but a broad and all knowing smile.

Kouga's clenched muscles released and he shot away from the bedroom as though he still had the shards of the sacred jewel embedded in his legs.

He knew the wolf was there, knew that he had been there from the moment the screaming started. Of coursed, the ookami would want to protect the miko, but crossing into his private quarters was too much. Apparently, the wolf had deluded himself into thinking that he still held some sort of valid claim on this woman.

At any other time in his life, Sesshomaru would have allowed the rutting session to be interrupted. But not today. He understood all too well just how little time he had left with the miko before he would be forced to hand her over to Inuyasha. Time was short, and every moment precious; he would not waste a single second on the ookami. Better to just make him leave without Kagome every knowing.

Sesshomaru looked at the long and lithe legs that were stretched out before him, pale against his dark sheets and began to place feather light kisses up them, alternating from left to right. The miko voiced a throaty little moan that stirred his already excited cock to a painful extent. He was close enough to the source of her precious heat that he could smell the intoxicating odor of her arousal. His eyes began to bleed crimson at their edges, and he slid his body up along the miko's. he admired her for a moment before he lashed out one clawed hand and swiftly removed the fluffy white towel from her body. He flung it across the room where it landed in a forlorn little pile against the far wall.

Her eyes were closed, long coal black lashes resting against her cheeks. Leaning down, he whispered so softly that the wolf would not be able to hear. "Your body is stunning miko. Feel yourself while I watch." She gasped as his hot breath caressed the delicate shell of her ear, but kept her eyes closed all the same. Keeping his attention solely on the little woman on his bed, and his back turned to the wolf, Sesshomaru stepped lightly to the side to allow the nosey Kouga a fleeting taste of what he would not ever have.

The wolf sucked in a sharp breath at the revelation of the miko's nude form, and Sesshomaru allowed himself the smallest of grins. He watched as the lovely little onna's breasts rose and fell with each panting breath she took. Her little hand caressed her stomach and slid down to fondle her moist sex. The scent of the wolf's arousal spiked, and the taiyoukai knew that it was past time for Kouga to be taking his leave. If this were allowed to drag on any longer, the wolf would certainly burst in and try to fight for the miko. That meant that he would be killed, and Sesshomaru grudgingly admitted to himself that he needed the ookami alive, at least until Inuyasha got settled in. So with one large and fluid step, he brought his own broad shouldered body into Kouga's line of sight, effectively blocking the miko. Gracefully dipping his head down a few centimeters, he made eye contact with the wolf.

Sesshomaru did the only thing he could in this situation. He flashed a beautiful and radiant smile directly towards Kouga.

He wanted to chuckle as the wolf shot away from the door, but hearing another husky moan from his bed, he knew there were more pressing matters to be taken care of.

Reviews are my fuel. Feed me my lovlies. Please? ;)

omizumaru


	19. Denial

Kouga had been sitting apprehensively in Sesshomaru's living room for almost an hour, trying to ignore the moans and lusty sighs coming from the bedroom, wishing that he could leave. Unfortunately, he had come here with a purpose and a task, and if he left, the taiyoukai would surely be even angrier than he was already. So, he was forced to sit, waiting, listening as Sesshomaru had his way with the miko who had held Kouga's heart for centuries.

Sure, they had been other women since the day that she had disappeared from his life in the Feudal Era, but he had never had the smallest inclination to mate a single one of them. He had, deep within his heart, been holding out the hope that his woman would one day pop back into his life as suddenly as she had left it. It was a simple and thin hope, but it had finally happened. But now that it had, he found that he was once again too late; once again she was in the arms of one of the inu brothers. Of course, the brother that currently held her was a surprise. Sesshomaru had never been one to latch onto a woman. Not a demon, and certainly not a human. As a matter of fact, Kouga had never seen the taiyoukai with a human female unless it was a business meeting. His relationships with women were nonexistent.

But somehow, he had found the miko, and now he was having some sort of a relationship with her. Despite the fact that Kouga had lost her to another for the second time, he smiled. It only went to show how special his woman was. But surely Sesshomaru understood that things would be different when Inuyasha returned tomorrow. A deep frown crossed Kouga's features at the thought. No matter how this played out, the shit was going to hit the fan, and it was going to do so epically.

The ookami's internal musings were cut short by the sound of a deafening roar from the bedroom. He cringed. That roar meant only one thing, and that meant that he was going to have to face the proverbial music shortly. He wanted to bolt, and found it very difficult indeed to remain sitting on the couch.

Fifteen minutes passed before Kouga heard the door to the bedroom open and click closed quietly and Sesshomaru entered the living room. The towering taiyoukai wore only a pair of black slacks and a smile, his long white locks still slightly damp from his shower earlier. He sat down in a chair opposite Kouga languidly crossing his long legs, one ankle sitting on top of his other thigh. He steepled his fingers and focused mellow amber eyes on the wolf in front of him.

"She sleeps." He said simply without the slightest hint of embarrassment. "Now, what is it that you came here for?"

Kouga had never seen Sesshomaru so relaxed and comfortable. Even in his own home, the tauyoukai had always seemed somehow busy and restless. He marveled again at the strange powers of his woman over others.

"Does she know?" Kouga asked seriously.

"She has not asked."

"And you haven't seen fit to tell her? You think she doesn't care that he's alive?" Kouga was shocked. Of course, one didn't cruise their way to the top of the business world without the ability of being ruthless and secretive, but taking those skills and applying them to this situation was outlandish. "What are you going to do? Keep her hidden away here? Hope that they never run into each other?"

Sesshomaru snorted. "Not at all. I fully intend on reintroducing them at the dinner that will be held in honor of his return."

Kouga's mouth dropped open, and hung that way. Gathering himself together, he looked seriously into the eyes of the relaxed taiyoukai. "And then what? Don't you think she's going to be incredibly pissed off that you didn't tell her? Do you think that she'll thank you?"

When Sesshomaru didn't respond, Kouga understood. "You think she'll stay with you. You believe that she will be happy to see Inuyasha, but that she'll choose you."

"I hold no such expectations."

Again, Kouga looked into the taiyoukai's eyes, and on the surface what he said seemed true. The windows to his soul, typically so cold and vacant held a hint of sadness. But Kouga knew him and his tactics too well. "You do. You want to believe that she will run into Inuyasha's arms, and that all debt to him will be repaid after they establish a life together. But what you really want to happen is for her to stay with you. You actually care about her."

"Indeed."

"You have a pretty fucked up way of showing it."

"I fail to see how any of this is of your concern Kouga. She is not your mate, she never has been."

"But she's my friend! And I won't sit by and watch you destroy her!"

"She has already destroyed herself Kouga. I only wished to restore her to her former glory for the half-breed." Noticing Kouga's questoning expression, Sesshomaru continued, "So you, ookami, who knows so much in truth knows so very little. Do you know how I discovered her?"

"No."

"This Sesshomaru spoke his first words to the miko while she was a sobbing drunken mess on a public bathroom floor in a seedy bar. I watched as she drank herself into oblivion each night, taking home random strangers to share her bed on a nightly basis. I listened to her sad ramblings of a lost love who never came for her. I could smell the alcohol on her breath each and every afternoon that she left her home and headed directly for the bar. And then I confronted her, brought her here with the intention of polishing clean what was so disgustingly tarnished. And what you saw before, the happy woman with great powers, who's body heals itself as we speak, that is the result of my endeavors. So before you say that I am the one who will bring devestation upon her, think well of what I have told you. She was a woman bent on destroying herself until I took her away. Now she as she should be."

What he spoke had meaning, and Kouga now understood the miko's earlier remarks about being previously bad off and her apparent shame. But it didn't change the outcome. "So she is saved now. But what will she be tomorrow when he returns?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed to slits for q fraction of a second before he coolly responded, "I will be the one to retrieve the whelp when he arrives in the morning. If there is nothing more on that issue that you wish to discuss, I have other obligations at the moment." The conversation was obviously at a close as the taiyoukai was now standing and looking expectantly at the wolf.

"Yeah, I guess that's it." Kouga was no fool, he to had heard the muffled sigh of the miko as she called the taiyoukai's name from the bedroom. He stood and walked to the door. Opening it and stepping out into the cool night air he stopped and without looking back into the home stated, "Mark my words Sesshomaru, this is going to kill her." With a slam of the door, he disappeared into the night.

Sesshomaru stood for a moment, angry and possessed by a deep sense of foreboding until he heard small feet pad softly up behind him. Lithe arms wrapped around his bare chest and small hands gripped his shoulders. He felt pert cloth covered breasts push against his bare back and knew instinctively that the miko was wearing another of his shirts. Her hair was soft and damp as she laid her head against his back.

"Did Kouga leave?"

"The ookami is indeed gone." Sesshomaru absentmindedly placed his large hands over the miko's.

'That's a shame. I was looking forward to talking to an old friend." She placed a light kiss on his back.

"You will see him again."

"I guess that's true." Her hands slid from his shoulders and began to slide down his chest to the waist band of his slacks. "It's getting late. You should come to bed." Sesshomaru felt the button on his slacks pop free.

Sesshomaru was also no one's fool. Quickly turning with a warm growl, he scooped the miko into his arms and carried her into the bedroom while she giggled.


	20. Welcome Home

The alarm on his cell phone woke him promptly at 4:30 a.m. Sesshomaru cracked one eye open and carefully disentangled his limbs from the miko's. Stretching one long arm out, he reached over and turned the alarm off.

He heard the miko give a soft grunt in her sleep as she subconsciously registered his movement. She turned over to face him, and still asleep, latched onto his pillow, burying her face in it's depths. She sighed softly, and her deep slow breaths continued. Not sure why he was compelled to do it, Sesshomaru leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her naked back, right between her shoulder blades. She sighed again, and he watched as small goosebumps began to coat her milky skin. That she enjoyed his slightest touch, even in her sleep, instantly aroused him, but he did not have time. He also, quite frankly did not want her to wake, as he did not wish to explain where it was he was going and what he was doing.

Reluctantly, he removed his body from beneath the warmth of the silk sheets and stood. Moving with all he stealth and grace of a well-honed warrior, he grabbed a pair of pants, his cell phone, a shirt, and a pair of shoes. Quickly and quietly, he opened the door to the bedroom and headed into the living room. Pulling on his pants, he flipped open the phone. As he began to do up the buttons on his shirt, he spoke quietly into the phone.

"Send the driver. And tell him to be silent when he arrives. Inform him that I will need to stop by the office before we go to the airport."

That done, he sat down to put on his shoes.

As he waited for the car, he thought about how best to spend his final day with the miko. He knew the ways in which he wished to spend the day with her, mainly involving those long legs wrapped around his waist. But there were things that needed to be taken care of first. And, as loathe as he was to admit it, he would actually enjoy just spending some time with her. The ookami was right, he, Sesshomaru, had come to care for the little mortal miko in his care. Too bad he was going to have to give her away.

He was drawn out of these mental musings by the sound of an approaching

vehicle. Standing, he walked stealthily to the door, grabbing his keys from the little silver dish on the table beside it, and left his home, locking it up behind him.

The sleek black car came to a halt at the end of the drive, and Sesshomaru walked down to meet it. Opening the door he sat down gracefully and sank into the leather seat. The interior was full of things he would have no use for, but that the whelp would surely enjoy. The dark glass that separated him from the driver slid down, and Sesshomaru spoke. "To the office" e instructed the driver. The glass slid back up, and Sesshomaru began to do a mental checklist of the things that he would have to take care of before going to pick up Inuyasha.

First off was going to the office to shower and change into his freshly dry-cleaned suit. It would not do to smell of the miko when he arrived at the airport. Second, he would switch out vehicles, for the same reason. He would leave nothing to chance. Inuyasha was not to know about the woman yet. Beyond that, things were simple. Meet the whelp when he arrived, get him to his new residence, make his excuses for leaving, and spend the remainder of the day with the miko.

They would need to go shopping. She would need a dress and shoes for the dinner, among other things. An overpowering sense of sadness began to encroach on the taiyoukai at the thought of helping the woman become as beautiful as possible, only to hand her over to another. He barely heard the driver as he was informed that they had arrived at the office building, his growl was so loud.

"Sir?"

Sesshomaru's growl was cut off by the driver's question. "Thank you. Have another car here in thirty minutes."

"Of course, sir" He heard the driver say as he stepped fluidly out of the car.

It was time to begin the preparations.

Sesshomaru stepped out of the lobby of the building, and out onto the sidewalk, noting the fact that the first rays of morning light were beginning to peek over the horizon. Another sleek black car replaced the one he had previously occupied before showering and changing, and he opened the door and sat inside.

The leather was cool, and he leaned his head back against the seat with a sigh. His hair was still damp and heavy from his long shower, and his black suit smelled fresh. He was satisfied that there would be no lingering scent of the miko upon his person. He barely felt the smooth movement of the car as it headed in the direction of the Tokyo International Airport without his even having to request the destination.

Closing his eyes, he kept his thoughts away from the miko.

The plane was late. Typical; even when not trying, the whelp was a pain in his ass. Sesshomaru glanced down at his watch. The flight was thirty minutes late and counting.

Finally a female voice came on over the loudspeaker, informing the people waiting at the gates that flight 4032 New York to Tokyo was arriving.

And then the people began to pour out of the ramp. Sesshomaru towered above most of them and kept his sharp golden eyes on the lookout for the hanyou.

"OI!"

It was unmistakable. With a gentle sigh, Sesshomaru stepped forwards toward the head of white hair that was approaching him. As Inuyasha came closer, Sesshomaru could see that his once neatly tied back hair was now coming free of it's binding and tangled wildly. His clothes were wrinkled, and he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Compared to the other first-class passengers now exiting the plane, the hanyou stuck out like a sore thumb.

"You look like shit." Sesshomaru told him seriously.

"And you look like the same old stuck-up prick!" Inuyasha retorted happily.

Sesshomaru couldn't help but smile. The two had mended many of their differences centuries ago, and he was forced to admit that he had missed his brother's…. charm.

Inuyasha flung an arm around the taller demon's shoulders. "So how have you been aniki?"

Sesshomaru shrugged lightly, his wide shoulders falling for a moment. "Busy."

"As always!" Inuyasha said with a laugh. "Come on! Let's get the fuck outta here! I bet you've got a sweet ass car waiting for me and everything!"

Sesshomaru sighed again and began to walk with his brother to the car.

"See? I knew it! This is a bitchin ride right here!"

"Have your verbal skills not improved at all ototou?"

"Fuck that! I've even learned some new words Sess! For example, poon! I love that one!"

"Stop! Just get in the car Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha sniggered. "You're really too easy, you know that?' and then he climbed in.

With a roll of his eyes, Sesshomaru followed, only to be faced with the hanyou removing his right shoe. Sitting down and closing the door, he watched in astonishment as the boy clicked open the heel and pulled out a joint. Before he could say anything, Sesshomaru heard the click of a lighter, and Inuyasha let out a cloud of smoke.

"That right there is the shit." Inuyasha choked out.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Sesshomaru was shocked.

"Tokin up on some of the finest herb the States has to offer." Inuyasha took another deep hit and relaxed back into his seat. "You want a hit? I'll share you know." Inuyasha actually giggled.

"That kills brain cells whelp." Sesshomaru was matter-of-fact in his terse response.

"Pft. Brain cells…. They're like little ants carrying pine needles…. Only without the flamey things on the end."

Sesshomaru stared at his brother, mouth actually gaping. Catching himself he retorted, "That is indeed quite profound little brother." He shook his head.

"Thanks." Inuyasha turned suddenly serious golden eyes on his brother. "I'm glad to be home again." He turned his face to look out the window at the passing scenery. "I've really missed it here."

Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. He watched as Inuyasha continued to smoke his joint and stare out the window. He understood, he too had missed his brother, but there was the issue of the miko….

"So when do we get to you place?"

Sesshomaru was jolted out of his thoughts by the question. "You are NOT staying with me Inuyasha."

"Why not? I've always stayed with you when I had to come visit."

Sesshomaru refused to answer.

"Holy shit! I thought he was full of it, but Kouga was right! You've got a bitch up at your place! When do I get to meet the girl who you actually deign to share your bed with?" Inuyasha was over-excited.

"Soon enough, I suppose. But for the time being, I have secured an apartment for you near the office."

"Hey, thanks Sess. Seriously." Inuyasha paused for a beat. "Do you think I could use some of the company's resources today?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at him. "What would you be doing with them?"

"Now that I'm back, there's someone I gotta find." Inuyasha cast his eyes on the floor of the car.

"Your miko." Sesshomaru almost whispered. He knew that this would be the first thing the boy would want to do.

"Yeah. Kagome." Inuyasha did whisper when he said her name almost reverently.

The rest of the ride was made in silence while both brothers lost themselves in memories of the miko.


	21. The Dress

"Bitching pad!"

"This Sesshomaru is glad that you approve of your lodgings Inuyasha."

"Oh cut out that "this Sesshomaru" shit already!" Inuyasha said with an overstated roll of his golden eyes. "It's 2007 and you're a business man, not a taiyoukai. It's just fucking weird now."

Sesshomaru snorted. "I may currently be a businessman, but I will ALWAYS be a taiyoukai."

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever." Inuyasha had thrown down his suitcase at the door and was already rooting around in the kitchen cabinets. "Rock on!" He held a cup of instant Ramen up in the air as though it were a treasure beyond measure. "Oh how I've missed you my sweet, sweet ramen" he purred to the cardboard cup.

Sesshomaru stared at his brother, mentally forcing his mouth not to drop. "You do realize that ramen is available in the States do you not Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, but it ain't the same." Inuyasha clutched the cup protectively to his chest.

"Your miko would be jealous Inuyasha." Sesshomaru told him with a sneer. "You hold that cup as though it were a lover."

Inuyasha let the hand holding the ramen fall to his side and glared at Sesshomaru. "Why all the sudden interest in Kagome anyway? You never used to talk about her at all and you've mentioned her at least three times now since the airport. What the fuck's that all about?"

Sesshomaru shrugged elegantly. "It was merely an observation, hanyou." He saw the way that Inuyasha's mouth tightened into a fine line at the rude term and the taiyoukai inwardly smiled. "Besides, I made sure to have your cabinets stocked with this ramen that you so adore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more pleasurable things to spend my afternoon on." With that, Sesshomaru turned to the door.

His hand on the knob, he heard Inuyasha question, "What kind of plans you got?"

The suspicion was evident in the boy's tone, even if Sesshomaru's keen sense of smell couldn't pick it up. He had been careless by bringing up the miko and his "pleasurable" plans.

Casting a cool look over his shoulder, Sesshomaru told him casually, "I have some shopping to do Inuyasha." He gave the hanyou a quick once over. "Would you care to join me? Your current state of affairs are….lacking to say the least."

Inuyasha looked down at his rumpled clothes and then back up at his impeccably dressed brother.

"You know Sess, if it weren't for the fact that you supposedly have a bitch living with you, I would swear to all the Kami that you were a queer. I hope you're banging the shit out of her and she's not just some fag-hag or something."

Sesshomaru snorted loudly. "If you only knew Inuyasha" he said coldly.

He was gone before the hanyou could say anything.

Sesshomaru had the car drop him back at his home where he went inside to find the miko perched on his favorite leather chair, copy of Ulysses in hand, absorbed in her reading. She was quite the picture, wearing nothing but a long sleeved button up Armani men's shirt, legs curled under her, long ebony hair spilling over one shoulder. One little finger came up and flipped the page. Sesshomaru watched as her cerulean eyes moved with the words, taking in each and every syllable, no doubt living the tale in her agile mind. He was impressed by her effortless beauty, but more so by the fact that out of the thousands of books that he owned, she had chosen to read Joyce. It was a difficult read by anyone's standards.

Although loathe to disturb her, and even more loathe to force her to come out and buy clothes, as he preferred her in his own, or nothing at all, it was something that had to be done. With an inaudible sigh, he stalked silently behind her and bent down to place his mouth by her ear.

"Interesting choice in reading material, miko."

Kagome didn't jump, didn't even suck in her breath. Sesshomaru noted with something akin to wonder that her heart rate never even increased in the slightest. There was no way that she had known that he was there, she had been completely absorbed in the book, and yet he had not startled her in the least.

"I love this book" she told him simply, as she used one lithe little finger to mark her place before closing it. "I read it in high school for an extra credit assignment. I had to write a report on it for missing so many classes when I was traveling back to the Feudal Era." She flashed him a grin. "It was a really difficult read back then, but I forced myself to struggle through it, and now it's one of my favorites."

"And what grade did you receive on the paper, miko?"

"I suppose I technically got an A." She flashed him a wicked little grin.

"And how does one "technically" get and A?"

"I suppose the teacher never really expected me to finish the assignment. But when I got the paper back, he had just written this note that said it was the best synopsis that he had ever had the pleasure of reading." She shrugged.

Somehow, Sesshomaru was not surprised. His miko was many things, but stupid was not one of them.

"Come miko, you need to get dressed. We are going out."

Kagome looked up at him curiously, one eyebrow raised in a perfect imitation of himself. "And where exactly are we headed?"

"There is a function tomorrow evening for a representative returning back from the United States. You will be accompanying this Sesshomaru. Therefore you will need to be dressed properly."

"So you're taking me out to buy me some clothes?"

"Indeed."

"So I don't have to wear men's shirts all the time anymore?"

"That is correct miko."

Kagome's only response was an excited squeal as she jumped up off the chair and ran off into the bedroom. In record time she was dressed in the same clothes she had been wearing the night she had come home with Sesshomaru from the bar and was back in the living room wearing a strange expression.

"What ails you woman?"

"It feels wrong wearing these. I don't want to be this person anymore." She looked sadly up at Sesshomaru.

He walked quickly up to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You are not that person anymore. They are merely clothes, and when we buy you new ones, we shall burn the old ones if you so desire."

Kagome smiled up at the man she now realized was her saviour. "I think I'd like that Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru flashed a pure smile back down at her, and they stayed that way, smiling at each other, for what seemed like a very long time before he felt small fingers intertwine with his own. Pulling away from him and giving a sharp tug towards the door, Kagome said happily, "Well come on! Let's go shopping!"

They had been to every high class fashion designer's store, and Sesshomaru was loaded down with bags of merchandise. Kagome had at first been horrified at the idea of him spending so much money on her until he had finally threatened to call in the designers themselves and have everything custom made for her. It was outlandish, but he could do it, and she had finally relented. When she had given in, she had done so with gusto, buying anything that he told her looked nice on her. Unfortunately, they had yet to find a dress that he found to be suitable for the dinner for Inuyasha. And so here they were, at his favorite store, Armani. He was sitting outside the changing rooms, drumming his claws on the arm of the chair, surrounded by bags, while the miko took her precious time slipping into different dresses.

"Miko!" He barked out. "This Sesshomaru loses his patience with you! Do not make me come in there!"

"Keep your pants on!" Came the yelled response from the changing room.

"I would rather have them off." Sesshomaru grumbled.

"I heard that you hentai!"

"Well you are costly enough!" He bellowed out.

"You made me get this stuff! I didn't want to!"

"You seem to have taken to it quite nicely!"

The curtain on the changing room flew open and before him stood a vision in deep shimmering blue silk. "You're the one who hasn't liked ANY of the damn dresses so far! We could have been home HOURS ago! But NO! So don't even START!"

Sesshomaru's mouth dropped open. The blue silk clung to her curves in all the right places, but not in a tight fashion. The v-neck was enough to emphasize the fact that she had wonderful cleavage, but it gave only the slightest hint of it. The silk was a deep blue that matched and brought out the unusual azure of her eyes and shimmered against the flawless milky white of her skin. Rising from his chair he managed to tell her, "Turn around."

She did, and time stopped.

Where the front of the dress was demure, the back was positively beyond suggestive. To be frank, there was no back. The entire dress was open until it tapered down to fabric once again right above the curve of her pert backside. Her back muscles rippled as she moved, and Sesshomaru reached out a hand to lift her long black hair up. Holding the thick wavy tresses up he stared at the creamy expanse of flesh.

"This is it." He whispered softly. "We have found the dress."


	22. Hello

To ElegantPaws, thank you for cracking the whip.

To MomoDesu, just, thank you for everything that you do.

Sesshomaru stood in his living room, impeccably dressed in a classic tuxedo, tapping his foot. Glancing down at his watch, he looked up at the hallway again, foot still beating out an anxious rhythm, waiting for the miko to make her appearance.

Tonight was the end. He tried to convince himself that it was of no significance, that she was of no significance, that once he had returned her to Inuyasha, his world would finally return to normalcy. There would be no one stealing his sheets during the night. He would not have a problem finding a particular shirt, as no one else would be wearing it. His books would no longer have dog-eared pages in them.

But, his soul argued, there would be no one to greet him when he got home. No one to listen to his troubles. No one to take his sarcasm and verbal jabs and send them back. No one to make him laugh. No one to make him smile.

And that was what it all came down to really. When all was said and done, it wasn't about the sex. Oh yes, the rutting had been some of the best of his very long life. But that wasn't the thing that had made his heart suddenly stop beating in cold fear. It was the realization that for the first time, ever, he, Sesshomaru, was fulfilled. The Inu no Taisho was happy; complete. In a centuries long quest for supreme power, he had suddenly and unexpectedly found something greater; he had found completion. His father's words came rushing back at him.

"Have you something to protect?"

And now he did. He had something very precious to protect. Something immeasurably powerful and fragile and beautiful. Something that he had found and raised up from the abyss and made whole and lovely.

And he was giving her away.

Tonight.

Sesshomaru stood immobile as the realization finally hit home with him. Tonight he was going to give her away. After tonight, he would be forced to see her with the hanyou. See them happy and together and in love, the way they had been so many years ago. And she would most likely hate him for not telling her about Inuyasha's being alive. Of course, she had never directly asked, but the miko was too smart to use a tactic like that on.

No matter what he did, she was going to be completely and utterly lost to him. His amber eyes darkened and his lids lowered as his gaze dropped to the hardwood floor. He stared at the cracks in between the boards, wishing that he could fall in between them.

"Sesshomaru?"

He scented her worry for him, and so he attempted to place a stoic look upon his face as he raised his eyes up to her. She was a vision before him, despite the look of concern written so plainly upon her face.

The dress he had chosen was still so much more than absolute perfection, the way it gently hugged her curves and shimmered against her creamy pale skin, bringing out her azure eyes. She had pulled her hair up into some intricate twist, showing off her back, since he had seemed to like that when they had been at the store. He had not wanted her to wear make-up, as the smell of it bothered youkai, and there would be many sensitive noses at the function, but they had compromised when she had picked out some simple hypo-allergenic and non-scented items. And so she wore only the basics; some foundation, a little eyeliner, some blush and some mascara. She had forgone any lipstick. She had learned that Sesshmaru was not a fan.

She had picked out strappy blue 4" heels, that Sesshomaru had at first deemed "excessive." Until she had modeled them for him and he had seen how they made her legs look even longer and more toned. Her excuse was that she did not want to seem so much shorter than her escort and could use all the help she could get. Both of them knew that she was lying, but both were equally pleased with the results.

And so here she stood, beautiful beyond measure, the complete opposite of the alcoholic tramp that he had first found in some Kami forsaken bar.

"Come." Sesshomaru told her gruffly, proffering his arm to her.

She flashed him a radiant smile, and stepped forward to intertwine her arm with his. She tipped her head to the side and flashed him a coy look from beneath impossibly long and thick lashes. Seeing the way her eyes sparkled, he could not help himself, and he smiled in a relaxed fashion.

As they walked, arm in arm, to the waiting car outside, he made a silent vow. These were his last moments with her, and he was going to enjoy them while he still could.

He was drawn from his thoughts as they reached the vehicle, sleek and dark, with tinted windows. He released his hold on the miko and stretched out one arm to open the door for her. He watched as she clamored in, and could only hope that her exit would be more gentile. With a barely noticeable smile and a slight snort, Sesshomaru elegantly stepped into the car and took a seat.

He seemed outwardly to casually study the little woman as she relaxed into the leather seats and ran her hand along the shiny wood that paneled the door, while in reality he was meticulously memorizing every detail about her. They way she held her head tipped to the side, the soft sigh she made in comfort, the rhythm of her breaths, the tempo of her heartbeat. Every element of her was meticulously stored away.

She turned her face to him as the car began to move, and in a flash, her arms were around his neck and her lips pressed against his throat.

"A girl could get used to this luxury Sesshomaru" she whispered huskily to him, her breath stroking along his ear and making his heart rate increase.

"This Sesshomaru is glad that you enjoy his wealth, miko" he managed to bite out. Her lips were so soft on his neck, so close to the place where a mate would mark him….

"Oh, it's not the money," she continued to trail soft kisses up his throat and over his jaw-line. "It's you. You're addictive."

Sesshomaru tipped his head back and closed his eyes in pleasure. A light groan managed to escape his lips as she kissed the edge of his mouth, only to abandon it to kiss the other side of his jaw.

"This Sesshomaru has been called many things in his life-time, but never before has someone deemed me addictive." It was getting very hard to maintain cohesive thoughts and verbally express them. He was slightly suspicious that the miko knew his current position all too well. She was, after all, somewhat devious.

"Maybe it's because you don't let people in" she told him. And then she nipped him, rather harshly, on the side of his neck. He hissed in pleasure at her slight scolding. "But," she continued, "I suppose that's a good thing. If you did, I might not be the one you were spending all your money on…." She was only joking, and he understood that, but he could not take the teasing a moment longer.

Sesshomaru was a blur as he straddled the miko's legs. Grabbing her hands, he held them tightly within one of his own and forced her arms above her head, pinning her against the back of the car. He used his other hand to brace himself, and his lips were immediately beside her ear.

"So you think it amusing to tease this Sesshomaru, miko?" he whispered into her ear. He smirked as he felt her shiver beneath him. "Perhaps you do not understand the nature of the dangerous games you play?" He nipped at her full lower lip with his sharp fangs, and she moaned throatily.

"Or perhaps, miko, you do understand and are seeking some sort of punishment?" He licked her lip. "Some sort of retribution?" He nipped her again, harder. "Perhaps you desire absolution of some sort?" Here he brought his lips atop her own and gave her a scorching kiss. "Shall I condone this behaviour miko?" He asked her playfully. Pressing his body up tightly against her own and letting her feel the stiffness of his cock resting against her belly, he whispered lowly in her ear, "Should I give you what it is you seek?"

She was silent for a moment, before her azure eyes, formerly closed in passion, shot open. They met Sesshomaru's golden hued gaze, and she spoke.

"Perhaps, Sesshomaru, you are the one seeking something? Maybe it is I, who should be helping you." Eyeing his already uncomfortable erection through his pants, she then flicked her gaze meaningfully back up to him. "After all, you seem in desperate need of relief."

Sesshomaru growled, a deep and steady loud thrum. This woman continued to challenge him in ways that no other had ever done before her. It was highly arousing, and he felt his beast's appreciation. His eyes tinting red, his breath coming in ragged pants, he placed his fangs upon he slender throat and drug the sharp points across her collar bone. He felt his canines lengthen, and on some basic level understood his beast's intentions to mark the miko as his own. The whelp be damned; Inuyasha had missed his chance.

The car came to a short halt, and Sesshomaru's growl was cut short. Eyes and fangs returning to normal, his beast unhappily receding from the foreground, he looked down at the miko beneath him. A faint blush had begun to heat her cheeks and her lips were slightly swollen from his abuse of them. He desired nothing more than to take continue driving away from the party with her and making her his own. But it was not to be.

He swiftly removed himself from her lap and released her hands. Opening the door before she could say anything, he stepped out into the cool evening. He turned to offer her his hand, and she took it lightly within her own.

He noted with some small amount of pride that her emergence from the car could have rivaled his own in elegance as she regally steeped forth. She took a moment to look up at the towering building before them, and then looked over at him.

Her dark blue eyes caught the starlight and reflected it, sparkling like raw sapphires in the dusky twilight. Her ebony hair shone in the light escaping the windows of the tower, and her skin was luminescent in the moonlight. She was a being of beauty beyond measure, and Sesshomaru's breath was stolen.

As though she knew what he was thinking, she flashed him a shy little smile and took a gentle step forward without saying a word, lightly tugging on his hand. He resumed breathing, and moved swiftly to walk with her into the building.

The entrance was grand, as were most things in his life, and he did, after all, own this building. He led her to the elevators, and they stepped inside.

Sesshomaru reached one long arm out to push the button for the seventh floor, and then settled his back against wall, hands in his pockets, the perfect picture of relaxation.

He watched with slight amusement as the little miko studied herself in the mirrored walls, adjusting her dress her, tucking a hair back there. They locked eye in the mirror for a moment, and he saw the nervous energy in her eyes.

"You will be fine" he told her simply.

Never breaking their eye-contact, Kagome told him, "This is the first time I've been out since you found me. How would you know if I'll be fine or not?"

"You are mesmerizing." He said it simple, with a regal shrug of his shoulders, but the statement's simplicity did not make it any less true or meaningful. She was going to be the most beautiful woman in the building, internally and externally.

She blushed faintly before tearing her eyes away from his.

The elevator gave a soft ping as they reached the seventh floor, and Sesshomaru stood, bringing himself up to his full height. Stepping up to the doors, he felt the miko's hand latch onto his own. He cast her a questioning look, but she wasn't looking at him. Her attentions were focused solely on the doors that were slowly parting to reveal a grand ballroom filled to capacity with elegant people.

"Oh Kami. I can't do this." Sesshomaru heard her whisper when she caught sight of all the people milling about on the floor. Her hand was almost painfully squeezing his own.

"You are more than ready Kagome." He folded his long fingers around her own and was about to say something more to reassure her when he heard a soft gasp from her.

He knew exactly what it was that she had spotted. There, beside the bar, hovering above the sea of heads, were two little white koinu ears.

Sesshomaru knew that this was a moment that would play out over and over again in his head for the remainder of his life, and suitable, time seemed to slow. He heard her soft whisper first.

"Inuyasha?"

Her voice was so soft, and yet he saw one little fuzzy ear rapidly swivel towards her call. The hanyou's head snapped around so fast that the people surrounding him heard the crack of the wind. Bright summer sun eyes widened almost comically.

Sesshomaru's youkai ears picked up the disbelieving response from all the way across the noisy room.

"Kagome?"

And then her hand, so small and fragile, was slipping out of his grasp. Her fingers slid from his own as she tore down the stairs toward the hanyou. Sesshomaru watched as a blur of black and red shoved through the crowd with an almost violent force. Finally, blue and red met as the people parted for them, and the miko was brought up into the strong arms of her protector from so many years before.

Inuyasha yelled her name in triumph as he picked her up off the floor and swung her around in a circle, as she laughed and tears leaked from her eyes. Seeing them, he set her lightly down and brought his large hands up to gently wipe them away. Cupping her face in his hands, he brought his face to hers, and their lips met in a heated kiss.

As they wrapped their arms around each other and continued to kiss and laugh, Sesshomaru felt his beast begin to rise. As his eyes began to bleed red, he suddenly felt a strong grip on his bicep. Snapping his head around, he met the blue eyes of the person brave enough, or stupid enough, to stop him.

"This is what you wanted Sesshomaru. All of this is of your own doing." Kouga told him gently.

Sesshomaru stared blankly at the ookami, before ripping himself free of his grasp and stalking back to the elevators, a deep growl echoing through the hall as he left.

Kagome heard the growl and pulled to look up the stairs to where her saviour had been.

"Sesshomaru?" She barely had time to wonder before she was pulled back into the arms of an ecstatic hanyou.

Note from the author's desk:

Chapters will be coming more slowly now. ducks flying objects I just suffered a serious back injury at work, so I have to undergo some big time physical therapy, so obviously I will be concentrating on my health more than on my writing. I promise to update this story as much as possible though! Also, keep an eye out for more fics coming soon!

Also, please check out the awesome pic that was drawn for this fic by kanela at : http://kanela-sama. think it captures Sesshomaru and Kagome in the last chapter just wonderfully! And if anyone else out there is interested in either doing some artwork for one of my pieces or collaborating on a fic, let me know as I am always interested in working with others!

Humbly yours,

omizumaru


	23. An Empty Seat at the Table

Kagome sat at the middle of the long table, her deep blue eyes blank as she stared openly at the only empty seat along its great length. The ballroom was filled to capacity with people that were unknown to her, and two men that she held very dear to her heart. Her heart should have felt full at the knowledge that one of her closest friends was alive, not to mention the fact that her long lost love was here with her again after 500 years. Yet the deepest region of her soul, although overjoyed at this newfound information, was also hollow, and it seemed to all come back to the empty chair beside her.

A warm and solid hand closed over her own, making her jump slightly in her seat as she turned her head to meet the burnished eyes of the hanyou to her left. He smiled widely at her before squeezing her petite hand gently.

"Looks like you spaced out there Kagome" Inuyasha told her with a happy little smirk.

"Oh…. Yeah. I didn't mean to. I just…" She couldn't think of what to tell him. She didn't want to admit to him or to herself that she had been wondering what had happened to Sesshomaru.

Noticing her sheepish look, Inuyasha shrugged before standing and offering his hand to her. "Don't worry about it. That wolf has always been boring. I'm surprised the whole place isn't snoring." He shot her a lopsided grin, one of the expressions that she had missed the most, as she clutched his hand and rose to her feet.

"That speech was for you, you mangy, ungrateful mutt! If you had been paying attention to it, you would have noticed that it was all about how we're glad to have the 'honorable' Inuyasha back!"

She may have been in a beautiful ballroom, dressed in a gown that cost more than she would dare to ever imagine, surrounded by Japan's business elite, but with that statement, ground out by an only slightly perturbed ookami, Kagome felt she could have been back in the Feudal Era.

"Yeah, I did really like all the 'honorable' Inuyasha stuff you were spouting, Kouga." Inuyasha's face split into a wicked smile and his eyes almost glazed over in happiness at the memories of the wolf being forced to say all those nice things about him in public.

"Honorable my ass" Kouga muttered.

"I highly doubt your ass is honorable Kouga."

It was out of her mouth before she had even thought about it. As the hundreds of people continued to mill about the floor, the two most important people in the room as far as Kagome was concerned stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her. Inuyasha's citrine eyes seemed to narrow with suspicion for the smallest fraction of a second while Kouga's pale azure orbs were alight with something else entirely.

"You sounded just like Sesshomaru just then" the wolf told her in a tone of voice that seemed oddly curious.

"Yeah. That was fucking scary" Inuyasha concurred. Casting her one last inquisitive glance, he turned his attention back to the wolf. "So how come you were giving that speech anyway? Shouldn't Mr. Frosty Pants have been giving it himself? It IS his company, and I AM his brother. Or were you just looking for a chance to let your true feelings about me be known?" The hanyou snickered.

"Hardly dog breath. Sesshomaru would have given the speech himself, but some important business came up, and he had to attend to it personally. And I still feel that you're as much of a pain in my ass as you were the first day you came barging up the mountain to hassle my pack."

"I was coming to rescue Kagome!"

"She didn't need to be rescued! She was safe with me!"

"Keh! Whatever. It's not like it matters anyway. She STILL thinks I'm the best, obviously." To emphasize the point, Inuyasha wrapped an arm tightly about Kagome's waist and pulled her to his side, laying a soft kiss on the side of her head.

Kagome giggled. It really was just like being back in the Feudal Era, if one discounted everyone and everything else around the three of them. She had missed this; even the good-natured bickering. All of it had been taken from her so abruptly, and now it had all been given back to her. Wrapping her arm around Inuyasha's waist, she let him lead her to the dance floor and away from the long table and the ookami as she thought about how all of this had come to be.

Kouga watched the pair stroll off towards the polished wooden dance floor in the center of the large room. He watched the small woman in the deep blue dress with the dancing eyes to match as she turned her back to him and wrapped an arm about her companion's waist. They were, without a doubt, the most attractive couple in the room. The hanyou was gruffly handsome, and the petite woman was striking. Everything about them seemed to compliment the other. He was tall, broad, muscular, and boisterous. She was shorter, petite, lithe, and softly well spoken. Even the colour of their thick locks portrayed their polar opposite natures; black as the sweetest sin and white as the first flake of winter snow. All eyes were drawn to them, and not simply because of the fact of who the hanyou was in name. There was just something about the two of them together.

The crowd shifted and parted like the waves of the sea as the duo passed among them and made their way to the center of the floor. Inuyasha said something to Kagome that made her face light up in a radiant smile and she laughed. Kouga thought that perhaps he had heard a collective sigh go up from the crowd, but that really seemed far too dramatic. The orchestra began to play a waltz and the hanyou took up the little woman in a strong hold. As he confidently spun her around the floor with a grace that none of his Feudal Era friends would have ever imagined he possessed, only Kouga noticed the fixated way Kagome seemed to stare at him.

It took a moment, and only just, for the ookami to realize that those pretty cerulean eyes weren't actually looking at him, but rather, beyond him. With a hint of remorse, he turned his head to see what had so captured her attentions.

He would have laughed if it weren't so heartbreaking.

His priestess, the little miko he had loved unconditionally for over 500 years, was staring absently at an empty seat at the center of a vast table at the head of the room.

Quick note from the author's desk: Chapters will now be coming out slower, so make sure that if you're into this story, you get yourself added to the update notification list. I'm pulling two jobs, starting a blog, working on 4 new fics as well as some various one shots, and dealing with a back injury, on top of planning a trip to New Orleans. Things are starting to get a little hectic. And let's not forget the fact that I still have to keep up the updates on The Telling. Yeah, I know, I'm biting off a little more than I can chew huh? But hey, keep showing me the love! Nothing makes me want to push on through it all like some nice little reviews. Seriously, those little words of encouragement really do make my day. Thank you for that, all of you.

Humbly yours,

omizumaru


	24. Changes

To the reviewers, thanks you for the awesome words of encouragement. Without all of you, none of this would be possible.

To MoMo and EP, you are my writing soul mates. Thanks for everything that you do.

The faint noise of the tail end of the party could be heard through

the paneled glass doors and the light from inside the decadent ballroom made a feeble attempt to penetrate through them as well. It failed miserably, and the cool evening air remained dim, lit only by soft candles placed around the potted plants on the balcony. The flames flickered momentarily as a chilly breeze swept through the night, and Kagome felt the small hairs on the back of her neck lift softly in the small gust. Placing her forearms on the edge of the balcony, she bent over it, peering down through the dark night to look at the small figures who walked the streets below.

The sound of revelry grew louder for a moment as one of the doors opened- women's laughter and men's serious chatter sliced through the quite solitude she had found for herself- before all was once again muted and still, interrupted by only the occasional chill breeze.

Kagome didn't know who had come out to join her in her escape, but she knew that they were not human. She could feel the soft press of demonic energy against her skin and she heard no footfalls against the cool marble floor. She didn't bother to look at them, as she had no enemies here. In fact, she only knew two people at this party. So she continued to stare at the little humans walking the city streets of Tokyo below.

"They're so tiny from up here. And they don't even realize that all these stories up, Japan's business elite are celebrating the return of a half-demon to the country."

She heard a sigh and a warm and heavy coat was placed around her shoulders. "You're going to catch your death out here."

Looking over out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Kouga had adopted the same position as she; arms placed on the edge of the balcony, looking at the street below.

"I should be down there with them."

Cool blue eyes slid over to meet hers. "You never belonged with them. You wanted to be with them, to help them, and that was admirable, but you were never, and will never be one of them Kagome." He pushed himself off from the wall with both arms and stood, offering her a hand, which she gracefully accepted.

"I don't belong here. I'm not a demon or a businessman. I'm a human."

"You're a miko Kagome; probably the very last one. And you're incredibly powerful. While you may have been born of humans, raised by them, you are not one of them. You never will be. You with your heart so full of love and forgiveness, so open to everything and everyone, you could never be of humanity." He looked at her seriously, the blue of his eyes icy in the candle light. "Do you want me to tell you a secret?"

Looking at him thoughtfully, Kagome knew that what he would tell her would not be pleasant. "Will it hurt?"

"Yes."

She considered him for only a moment before sucking in a breath and holding it. When she released it she said only one word, "yes."

"You are the only one of your kind. You are special, and that draws other special creatures, like demons, to you. We can see you, smell you, for what you are; powerful and kind and open. But above all else, you are alone."

It was true. She had known it was true for a very long time now, possibly her entire life. But to hear the words spoken aloud was a complete shock to her system. Her vision started to fade, and the muted voices from the party inside stated to swell. Every muscle in her body seemed to give up, and she felt herself begin to slip slowly towards the ground.

Kouga saw her lashes flutter and slipped one strong arm around her before she could hit the hard marble floor. Looking down into her calm face, he saw the underlying beauty.

Kouga bent his head to place a kiss on her brow. "I never loved another," he told her softly. "I am sorry that one such as you has to be a solitary creature."

As if in response, Kagome's skin began to glow a soft pink, and Kouga felt his hands begin to burn. Holding back a scream of pain and placing her head gently on the cool marble ground, he stood and stared. Her entire body was engulfed in a shimmering light which began to grow brighter and brighter until he was forced to cover his eyes with his arm.

And as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. She was just Kagome, the miko he had known and loved for over 500 years, passed out on the floor of a balcony outside of the final moments of a fantastic party that all of Japan would be talking about tomorrow.

Moving closer to her, Kouga saw her open her eyes, and for a moment he could have sworn that they were the most lovely shade of silver he had ever seen. But she blinked, and they were blue, and the moment passed, leaving only concern for his friend. Sinking to his knees at her side, he reached out for her, if only to stroke her hair, to assure himself that she was indeed whole and alive.

But she startled him when her lithe little hand shot out and grasped his in midair.

"I am alone aren't I?" she whispered sadly to him.

Not knowing what to say to comfort her, he did the best he could. "You have your friends. You have me. You have Inuyasha."

"No mention of Sesshomaru?" She paused and a deep sadness crossed her face. "So he's left me then."

"He had business that forced him to leave tonight…"

"Help me up." She interrupted, extending her other hand to him.

He did so, glad that he did not have to keep up the pretense of where Sesshomaru had gone and why. She stood and brushed off the blue silk gown before handing him his coat and heading for the glass doors.

"It looks like everything is winding down in there. I should get back. Inuyasha will be wondering where I've gotten to and I don't want him to think that you've kidnapped me again." She shot a little smile over her shoulder.

As she pulled open the door, another breeze came whipping through the night, this one more biting than the last. It caught what were now Kagome's slightly tousled deep ebony locks and her scent went whipping through the night to Kouga.

He breathed deeply, not trusting what his senses told him to be true.

The miko's scent, so familiar for 500 years, had changed.


	25. Breaking and Entering

Kagome narrowed her azure eyes against the bright lights of the party, almost blinding after being on the dimly lit balcony for so long a period, and let out a tiny yelp as she was suddenly hoisted off her feet. But taking in a quick, deep breath she could smell the scent of pine and fresh air and the strength of the arms that were wrapped around her waist was unmistakable.

"Inuyasha you scared me!" she scolded him gently with a laugh.

He gave her a spin before setting her down and giving her a lopsided smirk that let one small fang peek out over the edge of one full lower lip. "I was just coming to look for you Kagome. I thought the wolf had run off with you again." He grabbed her hand and started to lead her across the dance floor.

"Where are we going Inuyasha?"

"The party is pretty much over, so I thought that you and I could go out for some drinks or something, catch up." They reached the elevators and he stepped inside the already open and waiting doors.

"Oh. You know, that sounds great, but I'm really pretty tired. I was thinking that I might just go home." She didn't look at him when she said it. She had been living with Sesshomaru for so long that she didn't even really know where home was anymore.

"Keh. Well, sure, Kags. I mean, if you're tired, then yeah." He sounded disappointed, but she really was tired, and the whole evening and just been too weird. She wanted to talk to him as well, but it was all too much, too soon.

"We can get together tomorrow Inuyasha, or anytime you're free. I'm just really tired tonight. But I missed you. You know that don't you?" Looking straight ahead into the glass panels of the elevator walls she saw his citrine eyes soften.

In a flash, his arms were around her and he had pulled her flush against his body so that he could look down into her deep cerulean eyes. "Not a day went by that I didn't think about you," he rumbled softly. And then his lips were pressed harshly against hers, one hand pressed solidly against her lower back while the other tangled itself in her locks. His lips and tongue wee forceful and passionate and she was responsive. She had missed him, had loved him, that much was true. And now here he was, with her.

When they parted, they were both left breathing heavily. After a moment he spoke. "When I first came back, I looked for you. I used every avenue I could think of to find you, but every trail came up cold. I was beginning to think that I had lost you, that I had done the stupidest thing ever by sending you away, by saving you all those years ago. And then, like a miracle, you showed up here tonight on the arm of Sesshomaru." He paused to look at her and she did her best to not break the eye contact. She would not give anything away. "Someday, you'll have to explain that one to me."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened on the ground floor, the lobby just as expansive and expansive as the ballroom had been. Wrapping an arm around her, he nuzzled his nose into her neck and sniffed lightly.

"You smell different." He commented seriously before taking another deep sniff.

"Different how?"

"I don't know. It's not bad. Just… different than when you walked in here tonight."

"Maybe it's just because I'm tired. I should be getting home." Kagome stifled a yawn behind a small hand.

Inuyasha grinned and walked her to the door of the hotel where he remover his jacket and wrapped it tightly about her shoulders. "Come on, I'll have the driver drop you off at your place before he takes me home."

Pressing their bodies together for warmth against the cool night's chill, they walked out into the early hours of the morning, completely unaware of the eyes that watched them from the darkened corner of the lobby.

It felt odd to be back at her apartment after so much time spent living with Sesshomaru, but as she bypassed the elevator and took the stairs to the third floor, Kagome began to feel the first twinges of dread pull at her heart. When she had last lived here she had been an alcoholic mess. She had spent her days and nights drowning her sorrows in the closest bottle she could find and bringing home whatever man paid her attention. The place had been a wreck, and there had been hardly any food in the fridge or the cupboards. For these reasons, she had not invited Inuyasha up. She may have looked the lady now, but that had been all Sesshomaru's doing. The reality of her former life was much more shameful.

With a heavy sigh she extracted the long disused key from her small clutch and placed it in the lock. Turning the knob, she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the cold shock of reality to slap her hard in the face. But when she opened them, a different shock awaited her.

Her apartment was sparkling clean. The floors and cabinets were spotless. The furnishings were new and luxurious. Stepping into the kitchen, she opened the fridge to see that it and the cabinets were stocked with the basic necessities and no alcohol. The walls looked freshly painted and there was no doubt in her mind that the carpet was new.

"Sesshomaru." It was a whisper, and the only explanation.

She was filled with wonder, but she felt so oddly tired. It wasn't as though she had over exerted herself, so she couldn't really explain the reason as to this sudden feeling of fatigue, but it was over-powering nonetheless. So with a final glance around her now immaculate apartment, she slipped out of her heels and stumbled towards her bedroom.

This room was much the same as the others- walls painted, carpet new, and as she slipped out of the expensive dress, and pulled down the duvet she found that her plain cotton sheets had been replaced with deep blue silk ones, much like the ones she had so admired at Sesshomaru's house. Now there could certainly be no doubt as to who had done all of this for her.

"But why? Why would you do this for me and then leave me?" She asked the dark and empty room sleepily as she crawled in between the cool silk sheets.

Her head hit the pillow and she was asleep before the single tear coursing down her cheek could even dry.

He had broken into her apartment on many previous occasions and never once felt guilty, never once felt like he was trespassing. But this time round, things were different. As much as he had done to prevent it, as hard as he had tried to ignore it, they now shared a bond. No longer was he the stranger entering her personal space to save her from her foolish actions; now he was a scorned lover breaking in to…. What exactly was he doing here anyway?

Sesshomaru snorted lightly in disgust as he stood in the entranceway of Kagome's apartment. For all intents and purposes, he had spent the last few weeks grooming her for her presentation to her lost love- his hanyou brother. But when the time had come to surrender her, he had felt his beast rise unbidden from within him to fight for what it rightful saw as theirs. It was only by leaving the party that he could prevent bloodshed.

And so he had stayed downstairs, lurking in the shadows of the dimly lit and overtly grandiose lobby, waiting- for her. She would make the choice simple for him. Either she would show his brother that she did truly love him, in which case Sesshomaru would leave the country and leave them to enjoy their rediscovered happiness, or she would deny the boy in favour of the demon and he would return to her, crushing Inuyasha's heart in the process. It was a messy ordeal, the sort of thing he would never have allowed himself to become involved in, the situation where someone was bound to be hurt, but it had become unavoidable.

So he had waited for her, for her verdict and his fate, predatory and unnoticed in the gloom of the lobby. AS the evening wore on and more and more guests began to filter out at a faster and faster rate, he began to grow impatient with the little miko woman.

Never one to give up the chase, he continued his stalking and quick and quiet pacing until the elevator doors opened and he caught the first scent of her sweet scent wafting through the open space. Looking up with feral citrine eyes, he hissed at the sight of Inuyasha nuzzling his nose into her pulse point. The two looked flush, both breathing hard, and he could discern that both their hearts were beating at a more rapid than normal rate.

And then his heart, too, began to take flight for two separate reasons. For the first time in many years, Sesshomaru feared that he had lost; that the little miko who had been so lost when she had fallen haphazardly into his life only weeks before and had so completely captured him had given her love to another. The second fear was because her scent, so soothing to him in it's familiarity, had suddenly and drastically changed since she had entered the party with him only hours before.

Before he could dare to get closer without being spotted, the hanyou's arm was around her waist and he was leading her out the door, promising her a ride to her apartment. Sesshomaru had grinned. Perhaps all was not yet lost after all.

Which now left him in her foyer, clueless as to what he expected himself to do. Listening intently with his keen ears, he heard no sound of movement anywhere in the apartment. Either she was no longer here, or she was asleep. Judging by the heels left kicked off by the sofa, he was guessing that it was the latter. Moving with all the stealth he possessed so as not to wake her, he prowled quietly to her bedroom.

Placing one large hand against the slightly ajar door, he pushed it slowly, praying that the damned thing didn't squeak. But her apartment was lush, well taken care of, and the door opened smoothly and soundlessly. Immediately upon entering the darkened room his burnished sunset eyes adjusted to the lack of lighting and he could make out the form of the miko in her large bad, sprawled out beneath the covers. Sorely tempted to join her and see what exactly she was wearing, if anything, under the sheets, Sesshomaru used all his training as a warrior to control the urge.

Though her breathing was even and her face was peacefully serene, something was wrong. Tilting his nose into the air and taking a few rapid deep breaths, he noticed the same change in her scent that he had witnessed before. Though she still smelled like sakura blossoms and vanilla, there was something else now present as well, something….. powerful and new. It was a scent that had always seemed to be simmering just below the surface of the miko, barely readable as though it were attempting to hide itself from everyone, but now it had seemed to come out into the open full force. It was similar to the scent of lightening strikes in the middle of a sunny afternoon shower. On the days when it rained just enough to create rainbows in the sunshine, and then, out of nowhere lightening would begin to strike, interrupting the fragile beauty of nature as if to say "Never let your guard down, for I am here."

Stalking closer to the sleeping miko, the scent of salt assaulted his nostrils. He could see the dried trail of a solitary tear on her perfect cheekbone. For a moment Sesshomaru wondered who it was she had cried for. Carefully reaching out one clawed and elegant finger, he meant to brush the flakes of offending residue away. But as his finger made contact with her soft and supple skin, there was a spark of light and he felt an instant burning sensation on the digit.

So his little miko, so weak when he had found her, collapsed and drunk on a public bathroom floor, had increased her spiritual power exponentially in the last few hours. Even in sleep her body would permit no demon to touch her. What had happened to her to make this rapid change occur? Searching his lengthy memories, Sesshomaru could think of no other miko in his lifetime who had possessed such strange powers in such measure, and certainly none who had come to do so in such a short amount of time.

He wished for nothing more than to touch her, stroke her lovely cheek, push the ebony tresses off her forehead, even climb into the bed with her and just old her to him, but at this point her body was protecting herself from…. him. Standing above her, looking down at the milky white skin and the petal pink lips and long sooty lashes that stroked her cheeks, Sesshomaru, the great Lord of the West, longed for nothing so much as a simple touch.

"Inuyasha" Kagome muttered quietly in her sleep.

And with that, the Western Lord turned on his heel and strode quickly from the apartment, vowing never to return.


	26. Quick Author's Note About the New Year

I will be going home for the next week for Christmas to visit family and friends. As I write on a wonderful MAC G4 desktop, I obviously will not be bringing my current saved stories with me. **ducks flying objects** In any case, I wanted to let you all know that I have accepted a drabble and one-shot challenge from a friend of mine and will be publishing these during my vacation. Just little bits of short and sweet that I'll have time to work on in between celebrating the holidays and spending time with loved ones. I do hope that you all will take the time to read them as they're posted. I promise so lemony goodness in some of them! And we do all know that I love the hentai! If you would like to know when I start publishing them or would like updates on them, feel free to e-mail me at: I return, I'll be back on Much Need Healing. Believe it or not, we're getting closer and closer to the end. We're a little over half way there now. And to those of you who thought that Kagome was pregnant, good guesses, but sorry to burst your bubbles. She just wanted to get a little more powerful. Also when I return, I'm going to try to get in some more work on The Telling, start posting unforgettable (another Sess/Kag, but one that is much more mysterious and cerebral) and post a bit of a Miroku/Kagome that I've been kicking around for a while now. Don't worry, that one's going to be short, 5 chapters at most and just a chance to write a lot of hot sex.

For those of you who know of and are fans of the amazing ElegantPaws, I am proud to announce that we will be collaborating on a new work in the new year. I won't spill the beans just yet, but it's going to be excellent. If you haven't yet read her work, what are you waiting for? I promise you she'll become a fave author immediately.

And of course look forward to more collaborations between myself and MomoDesu. We seem to never be able to get enough of each other. LOL. I blame YahooIM.

So many stories and so little time. So now I want to thank each and every one of you who leaves a review. I literally check them numerous times a day. They honestly are fuel and without them I wouldn't feel compelled to continue writing. With you and your kind words, I would be lost. Domo Arigato. I can only hope that you continue to enjoy my works and where they lead. May we share many adventures together in the new year!

Long days and pleasant nights!

omizumaru


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